


Decaying Bluebells

by Darkpetal16



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adventure, Comfort, F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Isekai, Rebirth, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 45
Words: 173,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25996759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkpetal16/pseuds/Darkpetal16
Summary: -COMPLETED- Originally posted on FF.net 04-03-2013; completed 07-14-2014. Now posted on Ao3 & Wattpad.The Butterfly Effect dictates that the smallest pebble dropped into the ocean would create the greatest of tidal waves. How much change could one new life make, if added to a world it was never meant to be in? OC-Insert. OC.
Comments: 20
Kudos: 64
Collections: Into another world





	1. Arc I - Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This is a work of fiction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> 
> 
> **  
> Artwork by Kira-Tsume on deviantART**
> 
> Disclaimer throughout the story: I do not own Naruto. This is a work of fiction.
> 
> Beta: Kalafina94
> 
> Beta: silverseed

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Nao.

That was the name I was given in this world. The name that I had been called, the name I had responded to, the name I had worn for many years now.

It was as familiar to me as my old name was.

Though for the life of me I could no longer remember my old name. Come to think of it, I could scarcely remember anything else of the old me. In the beginning I could remember it with such clarity it pained me to be in that new, strange world. But now, I am afraid that me has long ago been forced to fade away with the other ghosts of my past.

The old me was— _is_ —no longer needed and as such, she had left.

The new me, the current me, is the speaker of this story.

I had heard of others that have been put in my situation, vaguely recalling the stories and adventures they told. The hardships and scars they were forced to face; but, I had yet to meet another one in that world (in _my_ world).

Perhaps I had missed them.

Perhaps I was merely alone in that fashion.

It mattered not, though, the rumors of others. Nothing could be changed or done with mere thoughts and speculations.

Something I had learned many times over in that (my) life.

I will spare you the horror of my birth into that world, as I had chosen to repress the memories of helplessness and fear.

I will spare you the first few months of my struggle with my frail, premature body in the hospital, where I was probed and poked out by creatures in white.

I will spare you the first two years of my life where I struggled with a rapidly decaying illness and miraculously recovered.

Instead, I will start with the day I was first brought home from that dreary place they dare refer to as a hospital.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Snuggled in the warm blankets Momma had brought me, I was carefully carried in by Papa. My home—as they insisted I refer to it as—was large and strangely styled. I had never seen anything like it. I recalled vaguely there were whispers that referred to it as a _compound_ or an _estate_.

Inside there were many people gathered, all of whom still looked so strange to me. There were a group of large people to my left, a group of dark haired people to my right and in the middle was an arrangement between blonde and orange.

I only recognized one face among the crowd of people inside the large room.

My older sister.

I could see now that there was a banner strung up behind the group of people. There was food—cake, ice cream, and colorful foods that I did not recognize—streamers, presents, all sorts of other goodies stacked around.

I was slightly overwhelmed and I curled into Papa.

Papa chuckled lightly, his strong arms moving to set me down on the ground.

I did not like that arrangement. I was not safe on the ground. I clutched the blankets around me, disliking how they were too big for me and slid off me.

That was when she came to me; a stumbling run of sorts, her face lit up with joy and her pale blonde hair shining in the light of the _home_.

"Nao-chan!" she exclaimed excitedly.

My face lit up as well, relief and happiness spreading across it as the familiar (safe) figure came towards me. Tiny arms wrapped around me, too small to engulf me and the large blankets. My arms were locked in the blankets and prevented me from hugging her as well.

I disliked that even more so.

I released my hold on my blankets, using my frail arms to wrap around her waist. I hugged my sister tightly.

When I released her, I glanced around to see all eyes on us. Different emotions flickered across their faces. For some, relief; others, joy. It was a strange sight to see such an array of emotions staring down at (me) us.

Confusion washed over my features and I turned towards Momma.

Momma always had answers to my questions.

She gave me a smile, but it was unlike the smile I had seen within the past two years. That smile was strained, tight, (broken) sad; whereas the current smile was warm and bright. My confusion doubled.

Momma was never so happy when she looked at me.

Carefully, she knelt down to my eye level. "Nao-chan, this is your birthday."

The language she spoke, so foreign to me at first, had become second nature to me now. Unlike usual, my mind did not need to forcefully think the words out to understand them.

"Okay," I said, having nothing else to say. Who cares if it was my birthday?

My sister hugged me again. "This is the first time y-you're home. 'Cause now y-you're all better."

I blinked my eyes owlishly at everyone. They continued to watch me.

Vaguely I got the impression they were calculating me, measuring me, placing me under a microscope and studying me. I felt so small under their gazes, so weak and helpless. My body was already frail from its fight with my disease, it could not take much more.

My cheeks warmed and my eyes trailed down.

"Okay," I mumbled, tugging at the blanket and beginning to wrap it around me again.

They chuckled at my actions, much to my displeasure.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A month after my birthday party I found my sister outside with Papa in our large backyard (training grounds).

My blanket rested in my bed, where it would stay. Momma was unhappy that I lugged it around everywhere I went and dirtied it, but I argued with her that it made me feel safe. When questioned how it made me feel safe, I said it was the size and how I could fit into it and disappear.

In my blanket's place, she gave me a very large white hoodie. The sleeves were so long they dragged to the ground if I did not pick them up, the length of it so long it fell past my knees and the hood so wide my entire head was lost to it.

But I enjoyed it.

Momma enjoyed it as well. Despite it being white, it rarely was dirtied enough to be of notice. Momma had explained to me, when questioned, that it was made of a special _chakra_ material.

That was my second clue to what world I had been born in (the first being the strange food, and language, along with strange clothing).

My sister was taking a stance, a familiar one (tai kwon do) and her face was mixed with displeasure and mild annoyance. She was covered in dried dirt along with a few bruises. In front of her, Papa stood with an amused smile and a relaxed stance.

I ran towards them, smiling widely. "Sister!"

My sister's face broke away from annoyance and into joy upon seeing me. She shot Papa a smug look before turning back to me and opening her arms. I kept running until I had entered them, wrapping my own arms around her.

"Wha' are you doing?" I asked, my voice muffled against her.

She smiled and pulled back. "Otou-san's making me train." Her face screwed up as if the word _train_ was a bitter taste in her mouth. "He's been working me into the ground!"

I blinked up owlishly at my sister before turning to Papa. "Train?"

Papa gave me a smile. "Something you will do when you are older."

I blinked, taken aback by this answer. I looked between my sister and Papa, frowning. "But I wan' train now."

Worry crossed over Papa's face and he gave me a frown. "I do not think—"

"Why can't she train?" My sister folded her arms across her chest. "I could use the partner! I j-just began this stuff too, you know."

I looked back up at Papa, my eyes wide and pleading. I did not want to make my Papa uncomfortable, but the prospect of doing an activity with my dear sister—no matter how tedious or strenuous—seemed far more appealing than watching everyone move about their day alone.

I was rarely allowed to partake in many things around the house, either too small, young, or frail in their eyes. Momma would teach me all that she could in writing and reading, but I had already long since grasped those with ease.

Papa pursed his lips and gave a small nod. "A single spar. If—and I am emphasizing _if_ here—you do well, then we may see if we can continue these lessons. But do not feel discouraged if you do not. Your sister is older than you and has been training in this longer than you—if only by a year."

I nodded my head firmly and smiled at my sister.

Papa glanced between the two of us. "Taijutsu only."

"Yeah, yeah," She said with a grin and wink at me. I giggled, my desire to please and impress my sister increasing.

 _Taijutsu_...

The word was so familiar to me though. A strong sense of déjà vu washed over me from it, but for the life of me I could not place where I had heard it from. But it sounded _similar_ to jujitsu. Perhaps Papa merely mispronounced the word?

Jujitsu. I was not familiar with the style, I only studied tae kwon do, not bothering to master the pins and defensive stances jujitsu normally dominated in.

My feet slid apart and my hands moved up into the familiar positions. A stance I had not taken in two years, at least. I was glad I could remember the basics of it. Even though my body did feel awkward in it, my mind told it otherwise.

Papa frowned, watching me carefully.

My sister seemed unperturbed by it though, taking another, different yet similar stance. At Papa's nod to begin, she rushed forward.

I inwardly frowned.

She had dropped her main style already, giving me a wide opening to attack. No wonder Papa was drilling her through stances; she had a horrid habit. For a flash, I felt fear and worry for my sister. What if she were in a real fight? She would lose and become injured with such a wide opening!

I snaked forward, my body angling towards her opening. My hands snapped forward, driving up in between her own sloppily held arms. I pushed her arms out and away, my left leg shooting forward and hooking around her right knee. I kicked it in, forcing her to fall towards me.

If she were to become injured, I would feel awful. She was my sister and I didn't want anything to happen to her. I wanted to protect her and keep her safe, as she had done for me the past two years. If Papa was teaching her how to fight this early, then he must have had a reason to. Papa never did anything without careful reasoning. If Papa thought she needed to learn to fight, then she _needed_ to learn to fight. If she needed to learn to fight then she would, obviously, be in a fight.

My body twisted so my right arm hooked underneath her own right armpit. My body continued to turn, moving with her fall towards me and I pulled her right side over me. She landed with a thud on her back in front of me.

She stared up at me with wide eyes.

I looked down at her with concerned eyes.

"Sister?" I asked tentatively.

"That was awesome!" She burst out, quickly scrambling up to tackle me in a hug. "You're so amazing, Nao-chan. How did you do that? You have to show me—no wait, better idea. You have to show Otou-san. Ha! Otou-san can train you instead of me, how's that sound?"

I frowned. "But Sister, you nee' to learn to defend yourself."

Papa moved forward. "Your sister is right, Ino. As the clan heiress you must learn this. Inonao, excellent work."

At my real name, my frowned deepened. I did not like my birth name and preferred that everyone called me _Nao_.

Ino pouted slightly but didn't seemed actually put off. "But Nao-chan was great, right Otou-san? Does that mean she can train with us too? Please?"

My eyes widened at the prospect of permanently training with my sister. A smile lit up my face and I looked eagerly at Papa. Papa eyed us both before chuckling and holding up his hands in surrender. "Alright. It's clear Nao is adept in taijutsu, at the very least. Let's move on to chakra, shall we?"

I blinked.

That... sounded even more familiar.

I frowned, an odd thought wiggling through me. "Papa? Where do we live?"

Papa smiled at me. "The Village Hidden in the Leaves, dear."

Oh.

Wait.

What?

****Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so concludes the first chapter for Nao. 
> 
> **The Question:** For those of you new to my stories, I will have a question for (you) the readers at the end of every chapter. I had seen some of my favorite writers do this and it seemed like a fun thing to do. You don't need to answer the question(s) if you don't want to.
> 
> My question is, if you were reborn into the Narutoverse, what family would you want to belong to?
> 
> Reviews are **love**.


	2. Arc I - Ability

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

It's been a year since I had begun my training with Ino. Taijutsu, I had discovered, was a combination of many fighting styles. The fighting style that I had shown was a very basic style, apparently. It was a style that was not well suited to my tiny (frail, weak) body. Papa and Momma worked hard to find a style that better suited me.

They settled on a complicated style that had me landing on my tailbone multiple times. While I didn't enjoy learning it, I very much appreciated what the end results would be. It was a style that relied heavily upon careful maneuvering and using my smaller body to my advantage.

Chakra training, I had discovered, was exceedingly difficult for most, including Ino.

That was because they had known their chakra all along. Had it become second nature to them like their own heartbeat, only better hidden. They could not distinguish the difference between their body and chakra.

While that was slightly different for me, it was not by much. Though chakra was new to me, I had grown accustomed to it over the first years of my life here. For me, telling the difference still required deep concentration, but it came with much more ease than it did my elder sister.

Chakra training was basic for us. We only practiced locating our chakra, and pushing it to different parts of our body. That came easily for both of us once we had found our chakra. It would appear chakra control was a natural thing for us, even if locating it still required effort.

It did not surprise me considering our kekkai genkai.

Which brought me to what we were training for today.

Today was our first step into learning our clan's kekkei genkai.

We sat with our legs folded underneath us in our indoor training hall. Today the training hall was empty—a request by Papa to better help us concentrate. In our laps were two doll-like figures.

Papa sat in front of us, his legs folded underneath him. "Today we begin your first training session as Yamanaka clan members. Our clan specializes in mind attacks, utilizing sensory abilities—transferring consciousness, reading minds, and communicating telepathically. Our first lesson will be our most basic clan technique: transferring consciousness."

I shifted slightly and Papa eyed us both carefully. "To do that you will utilize your chakra control to its maximum potential. Force it to project and wrap around yourself and then _push_ it out of you and at your target. You must not push too much into the attack as it will overshoot and the entire jutsu will become void. You must not push too little, or your entire jutsu will fail and you will be stuck outside of your body for several minutes—sometimes an hour."

Ino gave a sharp intake of breath and my eyes widened.

"You must have complete control over the jutsu," Papa said firmly. "You must _will_ it to bend to your wishes. Never, I repeat, _never,_ let _it_ control _you_."

Ino and I nodded earnestly. Papa's firm face relaxed into a smile again. "These dolls in front of you will be what you practice with. Before you fully push your consciousness outside of your body, you must first understand _how_ to do so, which way to go, and how to return. You will push your consciousness until it brushes across the doll. If you do that correctly, the doll will glow blue. If you do it incorrectly—push it too far or too little—it will glow red. Take as much time as you need; there is no rush."

"Okay, Papa," Ino said, glancing down at the doll and furrowing her brows.

I looked down at the doll as well, frowning slightly. My eyes flickered closed and it took me a moment to find my chakra. Deep and steady, it hummed inside of my chest. Pleased that I could find it, I began forcing it through me, up through my body and out of my hands towards the door.

In my mind, I willed myself to leave my body and follow the chakra.

Nothing happened.

My eyes flickered open when a light probed against the lids. My gaze slid over and I found Ino's doll had begun to glow a bright blue.

Ino was smiling widely. "That's so easy!"

Papa gave her a warm smile.

I frowned thoughtfully.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Two more weeks have passed and Ino's training has already advanced to the next stage while mine has proved fruitless.

For the hundredth (millionth) time, I stared down at the doll and felt frustration creep upon me yet again when the doll did not glow. Papa had been watching me very close to see what I have been doing wrong.

"I don't get it," I whispered, my eyes stinging from the possibility of yet another shameful day. How childish of me to get upset over such a little thing; but yet it _wasn't_ a little thing. Not to me. Ino had gotten it on her first try—as had most of the other members in the clan. If not on their first try, then on their second, or third.

It was not normal to push two weeks.

"Perhaps you are too young for the exercise," Papa said gently.

But I knew that wasn't true. There have been clan prodigies, children younger than I who could do that with such ease. Age was not a limit to us.

"I don't get it," I whispered again, my eyes blurring. "It's not fair. My mind doesn't _want_ to leave."

Papa froze, a thoughtful frown on his face. "What did you say?"

I looked up at Papa. "My mind doesn't want to leave. It wants to push, and pull, and move things. It doesn't want to leave."

Papa's eyes flickered wide and a frown marred his face. "Nao-chan, stay here."

In a swift movement, Papa stood up from where he sat and prowled across the room. In a matter of seconds, he was out of sight, leaving me alone to my shameful frustration.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When Papa returned, four elderly men returned with him. Papa sat down across from me again, and the elderly men surrounded me. Papa asked me very gently to repeat what I had told him. I repeated it.

The elders stared at me carefully, a mixture of wary and skeptical looks crossing their faces.

Papa asked me to show them what I had done before.

I did.

Their faces remained the same.

Papa then asked me to bend to my mind and do what it pleases.

"But Papa," I objected, "didn't you say _not_ to?"

Papa gave me a kind smile. "Nao-chan, when concerning with the mind transfer jutsu, you must never allow your mind to take control. What you might be doing is very different from that jutsu. Trust me, alright?"

I trusted Papa. Papa was safe and secure. Papa made me feel warm and protected. He was my bigger blanket and my stronger hoodie. Not only that, but I wanted to please him. For the past two weeks, I had been failing terribly and at last I had a chance to make up for it.

I closed my eyes and felt for my chakra. The steady hum of it vibrated through me and I forced it back through my body, weaving it around me.

My chakra wanted to project to the other objects. It wanted to disperse into the air and reappear next to the objects. It wanted to move the objects. To lift them, pull them, push them. It wanted to _control_ them.

All of them.

But it was not strong enough to reach so far so it settled for the object that sat in my lap. It wrapped around it, a steady hum vibrating against it.

My chakra pulsed, producing a beat of its own. At the beat, I could feel the object being lifted up into the air.

My eyes fluttered open and I stared at the doll.

A thin line of—black? white?—chakra outlined it. The doll was lifted up to my nose where it shakily stayed.

Shock froze me, but it did not last for long. Pride swelled in me: I had been able to make a reaction of sorts. Though it may not have been the reaction Papa and the others had been expecting, it was better than nothing at all—correct?

Correct. Papa must be pleased with me as well.

Wasn't he?

Before my eyes could drag towards Papa though, a wave of fatigue came down on me. My entire body shook and I could feel my chakra had dwindled considerably. I gave a strangled gasp of air and my chakra snapped away from the doll where it fell with a plump to my lap.

Still shaking, I noticed I had perspired heavily, sweat dotting across my brow. My breath came in short shallow gasps and my body shuddered.

My eyes drooped shut and darkness enveloped me.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Darkness dotted my vision as my eyes fluttered open. Weariness brushed across me and I weakly sat up. It would appear I had been moved back to our main room. I had been placed on the couch with a blanket tossed over me. My head twisted around and I noticed Papa, Momma and the elders from before had taken note of me, pulling out of their conversation.

As I sat up though, a sharp pounding pierced through my head and I winced.

"Nao-chan," Momma said with a warm smile.

"Momma," I said blearily. "I'm sleepy."

"You've exhausted your chakra from that one shot," explained one of the elders, a gentle smile on his face.

"What was it?" I asked, my eyes looking between Papa and Momma.

"It would appear you have developed your own branch to our kekkai genkai," said another elder.

The corner of my lips twitched down and confusion came through me. "What do you mean?"

"Our kekkai genkai," Papa said, "is in essence, the ability to project and bend our chakra with our will and as our will. It is because of that that we are able to do the things we do. It is rare, but not unheard of, that some in our clan that develop completely different jutsus with the kekkai genkai; jutsus completely unique to them."

I shifted, tiredness washing over me. "Is that why I couldn't mind trans... fer?"

The third elder dipped his head. "You will never be able to achieve true mind-transfer or any of the other standard techniques."

My eyes widened and horror crossed my features. My eyes watered and I looked at Papa. "I'm sorry, Papa."

Papa frowned. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Nao-chan."

"B-But I won't be able to do what you want from me," I whispered, my voice wavering. The prospect of failing my Papa was horrible. The shame and frustration it brought upon me was undesirable at best. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to have a normal mind.

"You have _nothing_ to be sorry for," Papa said again, albeit more firmly. Then again with a more gentle tone. "It is perfectly natural. It only means you will have a different training schedule than normal for your ninjutsu training."

"Really?" I asked.

"Really," Momma assured me.

I smiled, relieved.

"So what... what exactly does that... do?" I asked softly.

"You are not the first to have what we call the _Ishi-no-tōei-jutsu_ (Projection-of-Will-jutsu)," the first elder said gently. "The five before you all follow the same rules with that jutsu. It is a difficult jutsu and with little reward, even the most experienced user who trained under it for _decades_ could only ever manage to control or lift things three times their weight and only for a set amount of time."

My brow furrowed, considering that.

"As you have already seen, it takes an alarming amount of chakra to do so as well, no matter how short or small," he continued. "Not to mention it pushes on the user's mindframe, hence your migraine."

"I will, um, hurt every time I use it?"

"Most likely," Papa said softly, taking my hand. "As I said before, our clan specializes in mind jutsus. The reason those aforementioned ones are the most common is because it's in our very DNA to bend our mind that way. With you, it's a..."

"Mut... Mutation?"

Momma took my other hand, kissing the top of my head softly. "Unique twist, is what I would call it."

It was a mutation.

"Can I... Will I really no' be able to do the other techniques?"

"Not truly," the second elder admitted. "Perhaps a more... watered down version of the mind-reading jutsu at best. But that would of course take years and you could never do it perfectly. Only one of the previous users of your technique could ever master one of the other techniques enough to use it."

"So all I can do... is that one thing that will hurt me and may even be too useless for battle?"

"Possibly," the first elder murmured. "It is not uncommon to develop a second technique."

I perked up at that. "Really? Like what?"

"It varies," Papa said. "And it won't last forever."

I wilted. "What do you mean?"

"At best, if a second technique _does_ appear, it will rise in power before declining rapidly until you can no longer use it," the third elder said bluntly. "The longest a second technique has ever lasted is two years and even then it was more taxing on the user to be used often."

I closed my eyes, inwardly sighing in defeat.

So I was a mutant among my own clan with a technique that would be too taxing to use in battle, as well as painful, and only a slight chance of ever being helpful.

How quaint.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Imouto?" Ino enquired, sitting down next to me. "Something wrong?"

I shrugged, leaning into her. "Sissy?"

Ino moved, shifting my body so my head laid in her lap. "Mm?"

I shook my head, choosing to remain quiet as I contemplated.

Three years since I was born into that world and already I could feel myself slipping. _She_ , my old self, was slipping. I had repressed my death to such a point where I couldn't even recall it upon birthing into Naruto's world. Only the events leading up to it and my life before it.

When I thought of my life, I felt my chest constrict and such a longing came over me. I was hurting because I could no longer have what I desired most and I feared I would repress my past life as well. Already images, faces, names... all of it was so blurry to me.

Worst of all, I knew I could stop it. I knew I could start writing things down. I could confront it and keep hold of my memories, but I... didn't... want... to.

I hated feeling so horrible, so guilty for enjoying life here when _they_ must have been grieving me. I hated feeling such utter helplessness, loneliness, and longing for them; it was driving me insane. I wanted my memories shoved so far into me until I couldn't remember them anymore. I didn't _want_ them.

I knew, I _knew_ too, that I shouldn't. I had knowledge of that world-at the very least I should hold onto my memories for _their_ sake.

But I couldn't.

I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I was selfish. So very, very selfish.

I wanted a new life here.

I opened my eyes and stared up at her bright blue eyes.

She would cry.

I hated that.

I didn't want her to be upset, especially over my own actions. Asuma... The war...

I wasn't strong. I died too young to have a chance to grow up, and I was still so very young here.

Ino tilted her head. "Nao-chan?"

But she wasn't at fault. Ino, no, _Sissy_ didn't deserve unhappiness by my selfish actions, but did I deserve to suffer in silence for the rest of my life?

I thought back to our most basic training before the doll exercises, the will to influence our mind. If I could compare it to anything it would be like our wills to control our subconscious. Impossible in my previous life, but rather ordinary in the Yamanaka Clan. After all, they would need to be able to utilize every inch of their mind to project it out of their body and if their subconscious fought them even the slightest bit...

I wouldn't need my subconcious to be completely open to me. I had a different technique that didn't require it.

I knew how to control it enough... to perhaps do what I wanted it to do...

I smiled at Ino. "I love you, Sissy."

Yes... if I could... perhaps try it _that_ way... That way I wouldn't have to feel those horrible memories anymore but I could still... I could still call upon them when I needed them. I could manipulate my subconscious to repress them and only pull them up when I was in a certain situation.

Ino returned my smile with a bright one.

"I love you, too, Nao-chan!"

I was so very selfish.

I wanted to forget everything that made me _me_ , and remember everything that would make me _Nao_.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Answer:** Kiba's Clan because I love doggies. And Tsume is awesome. Them or Uzumaki Clan because come on... they're pretty kick ass too.
> 
>  **Question:** What nin-partner would you want? (Animal wise)
> 
> Reviews are **love**.


	3. Arc I - Academy

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

We began the academy today.

It had been a little over a year since the discovery of my specialized kekkai genkai. True to their words, I had been placed in a different training schedule when concerning chakra. While Ino and I still shared the same basic physical hand-to-hand combat schedule (we were equals in that now), Ino continued her training for the mind transfer, while I further practiced my own.

Ino was very good with her training, but she seemed to be losing her motivation for it.

Why do you ask?

Because of her dear friend, Sakura.

Sakura was a pink haired girl with (what I've been told) a wide brow (though I found it perfectly normal). Ino had been friends with her even before I came home from the hospital; but it would seem their friendship had developed immensely over this last year due to the fact they were both now old enough to 'hang out' without parental supervision.

I did not understand the need to go out of their way to show off their friendship instead of train.

Perhaps, though, my view was tainted from my quiet jealousy.

My sister and I were together all the time but now, with Sakura more active in their relationship, it would appear she was more interested in her than me. In the beginning I was fine with this—it was perfectly normal for friends or siblings to branch out.

Then Ino started losing interest in training—the only time we spent together since Sakura came along.

It frustrated me that the one time we were able to 'hang out', she was no longer interested in the subject we both used to love. It frustrated me even more so that instead of focusing on the training (me) she chose to daydream about what Sakura and her would do next.

I understood I was being petty and selfish in wanting my sister all to myself. It was completely childish and irrational of me but that did not stop me from _feeling_ it.

However, it did stop me from voicing my opinion and actively sabotaging their relationship.

Besides, Sakura herself was a very sweet girl, though she was quiet. I would feel guilty in harming their relationship, for it seemed Sakura had very few friends.

Mayhap I would have liked to become her friend if it weren't for my silly jealousy.

Though it was impossible to tell.

When Academy enrollment came around, Papa offered me to join Ino's group.

If I were a normal child I would have been enrolled at seven—like Ino and Sakura.

I was not a normal child. I kept up with Ino and could hold my own. Some people whispered the word _prodigy_ around me.

That was not accurate. At least, for whatever reason I thought it was not. A nagging feeling in the back of my head told me that I was not a prodigy. That I was unique in the way prodigies were, but I was not a true prodigy.

I could think of no reason behind that voice, so I dismissed it.

Returning back to the main point though, I was able to join class with my sister and that pleased me, so naturally I accepted.

Which brought me (finally) to where we stood today.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I held Ino's hand in my own, my shyness getting the better of me. Ino tugged me along, a pretty smile on her face. I hid behind her, the hood of my hoodie pulled up high and my arms shoved into its pockets—with the exception of the hand that was being held in Ino's.

There were lots of other students at the academy and very few teachers. The parents, it would seem, had dropped off their children and moved onto the parent-teacher meeting. Papa and Momma were among them.

Ino's eyes searched the crowd for what I knew to be her best friend.

I felt a pang of jealousy, but I bit my lip and pushed it down. Ino's eyes lit up upon seeing her.

Sakura was maneuvering through the crowd, her gaze searching and uncertain until she finally locked eyes with Ino.

Ino's grip around my hand loosened and I did not bother holding on. My hand dropped to my side before I pushed it into its pocket. Ino rushed forward to Sakura, not sparing me a second glance.

My eyes trailed downwards as she became lost in the crowd. A wave of sadness mixed with mild anger came over me and I turned my back towards them abruptly. I did not like being lost in the crowd alone and I did not like being (ditched) left behind by my own sister.

So instead I moved through the crowd, eventually finding my way out and heading over to a small empty area.

Though it was not entirely empty.

A boy—about Ino's age—was sitting on a swing tied to a tree. His gaze was searching and hopeful amongst the crowd—as if he were hoping for a friend to come out and greet him. At the same time there was doubt in it, as if he didn't believe such a friend existed.

I recognized his stance, his hunched shoulders and curled hands. He was defensive and lonely. Unsure of others yet longing to let them in.

I looked back at the crowd, at where my sister and her _friend_ were and felt a fit of defiance wash over me.

If Ino could have a friend, couldn't I?

In an irrationally bold movement I stomped forward towards the boy and locked eyes with him.

Our contact lasted perhaps a second or two before I lost my nerve and my cheeks flamed. Feeling incredibly self conscious and shy, I lowered my gaze down to my feet and shuffled. "Hi."

The boy stared at me a moment before offering a tentative smile. "Hi."

I shuffled again and kicked at some dirt. "I'm Nao."

"Naruto," the boy said with a large smile.

I looked back up, the name causing a sense of familiarity to wash over me. My hands dug further in my pocket as I nodded in acknowledgement to his response. My cheeks still felt hot. "What class are you in?"

"1-B," Naruto said.

A smile graced my lips. "Me too. So is my sister."

"Really?" Naruto asked.

I nodded my head and lowered my gaze again. "D-Do you, um, wanna walk to class 'gether?"

Naruto's face lit up, his beam so bright and his smile so sincere it forced me to wonder if it was really directed at _me_. The warmth from my cheeks spread across my face and I nodded my head, unsure of what else to say or do.

How long had it been since I had contact with anyone else aside from family?

"You wanna go now?" Naruto asked me, still smiling.

I nodded my head once more and held out my hand.

Naruto stared at it, confusion coming across his face.

A frown dipped my lips down. Had I done something wrong? Was it not normal to hold your friend's hand and walk around together? Ino and Sakura were insistent upon doing such things so I had merely assumed...

Was the boy perhaps offended that I had made the bold insinuation that he and I were friends?

"What do you want?" Naruto finally asked.

I stared at him, my eyes widening. "Y-You're supposed to take it. Sister always holds hands with her f-friends."

"Friends?" Naruto echoed, his eyes widening to match mine. "Are you saying we're friends?"

Uncertainty and hesitation had me pause. "Do you, um, not want to be?"

Naruto shook his head eagerly. "No! I, uh, didn't know."

I nodded my head and held out my hand closer towards him. After hesitating another minute he took it.

His hand was smooth and very warm, almost hot, to hold. I kept my other hand tucked inside it and took a tentative step towards the academy building. Naruto hesitated before following behind me. Slowly and quietly, we walked to class.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Naruto and I sat in the far back. Ino and Sakura had come in earlier and claimed their seats next to each other. Ino had motioned for me to join them, but it was only three to a seat. I had motioned Naruto to her and she gave me a warm smile and nod.

I was pleased she did not try to hinder my new possible friendship with Naruto.

I was even more pleased when I did not feel as jealous over Ino's attention as I normally would have.

Naruto was hesitant and shy at first, as if he were afraid I would run away from him the next second. Which was ridiculous in of itself.

Though part of me was glad for his shyness as it comforted me in a sort of roundabout way knowing that others were shy as well. Ino seemed forever outgoing, as did most members of my family. I always felt sort of odd that I preferred to hide myself away from the world and they did not.

The first part of class was relatively uneventful.

At lunch Naruto and I sat by the tree we first met at, sitting under its shady area. The rest of the class had moved to have lunch behind the school, so we were alone.

I pulled out my lunch and set it out, noticing how Naruto didn't bring anything out with him.

Frowning, I looked at him. "Where's your lunch?"

Naruto shifted uncomfortably—nervously?—and said, "Don't have one."

My frowned deepened and I motioned to some of my own lunch. "You can share with me then. Momma always tries to o-overfeed me anyway."

Naruto's eyes widened and he gaped at me. "A-Are you sure?"

I nodded. "We'll have to share chopsticks though. Ar-Are you okay with that?"

Naruto nodded his head firmly and I broke the chopsticks. After taking a bite for myself I offered them to Naruto.

Naruto took the chopsticks carefully.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

After school, Ino told me she was going to 'hang out' with Sakura for a while and asked me to come along. I politely declined. Not because I had Naruto now, but because the prospect of watching my sister and her friend giggle on for hours upon hours about things I did not understand did not appeal to me in the slightest.

So instead, I bade Naruto goodbye and promised to see him tomorrow and headed home without Ino.

It would appear my academy days weren't going to be terrible in the slightest.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Answer:** Dragon. I kid, I kid. If I could, then I so would have a dragon. But on a more serious note, probably cat or fox. Fox in honor of Kurama, and cat for the sass.
> 
>  **Question:** Worst movie you've ever seen?
> 
> Reviews are **love**.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

Naruto and I had become very close friends in the course of a single month.

In that time, I had discovered many things.

For one thing, Naruto was not a shy person at all. He was very outgoing, and unabashed by others. He was not afraid to proclaim himself to the others; on multiple occasions he even declared himself to be the next Hokage.

It had also come to my attention that Naruto received many inappropriate treatments, mostly from the other kids as well as a few teachers. Naruto tried his best to ignore it, but at times, I had noticed it crack through his wall.

Naruto was a kind boy who always had a smile.

Though his attention span was lacking, as he despised studying with a burning passion. I had been trying to come up with ways to make studying entertaining, but had yet to think of such a way. At least of ways that would entertain _him_.

I had noticed that I myself was quite satisfied with having my one friend to myself and sharing Ino with Sakura. My jealousy was nonexistent.

I had also noticed that Naruto seemed to be able to read my feelings exceedingly well and understand what I want. I rarely had to speak in order to express what I desire from others; Naruto was more than willing to do such for me. It satisfied me that I did not yet have to face up to my shyness.

Papa and Momma were hesitant of my relationship with Naruto, but only for a few days when I first informed them. After I had brought Naruto home—which I did weekly (daily if I can) now—for dinner, Momma ate him up. Not literally, of course; that would be most displeasing if she did.

Naruto loved family dinners. He was uncharacteristically polite at first, but he had grown to be more relaxed over frequent visits. Ino and him were tentative friends—similar to mine and Sakura's—friendship. Only friendly because the other was friends with the sibling to the other.

I did not mind hogging Naruto to myself. I was quite pleased with it, in fact.

And Naruto did not seem to mind my attention at all. He seemed quite pleased with it as well.

All in all, however, we had what some might call an uneventful first month in the academy. That was alright, though. I was certain my life would be adventurous when I graduated the academy. Better to relax now and enjoy it while I could.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

At lunch Naruto and I sat in front of each other, our shared lunch (Mom had added a lot more food to it, knowing I was sharing it with Naruto) spread out before us.

"Nao-chan."

I looked up and smiled shyly. "Hi Shika-niichan."

Shikamaru was the son of my Papa's best friend—or one of his best friends. Ino disliked him though, saying he was too boring, but _I_ liked him. He was quiet and never pressured me into speaking when I would much rather be silent.

Shikamaru and I didn't talk much during school; he said he would much rather nap than talk so I never bothered to bring him to our lunch.

Naruto looked up at Shikamaru, slightly wary and equally curious.

"Naru-kun," I said. "This is Shika-niichan. Shika-niichan, this is my best friend, Naru-kun."

"Naruto-kun, then?" Shikamaru asked with a lazy drawl.

Naruto, at his newly found title, shot me a smile before grinning openly at Shikamaru. "Hey. What brings you over here?"

Shikamaru held up a boxed lunch. "Mom ordered me to make a friend to bring home. I was hoping you two would cover it."

Naruto and I exchanged a glance. I noticed that Naruto was positively beaming at the prospect of another friend. Though what surprised me most was that I held no feelings of jealousy over Naruto. In fact, it was the opposite. I was _ecstatic_ for him to make another friend. I was even happier that it had been Shikamaru.

I patted the ground next to me. "You're always welcome to join us, Nii-chan."

Shikamaru nodded his head slowly before plopping on the ground next to me and across from Naruto. He rolled out his lunch and added it to our pile. "You guys don't mind sharing, right? I know I hate half the stuff Mom packs me but I _do_ like your kelp."

Naruto and I exchanged yet another glance. Both of us were smiling smugly.

"Bring some food and we'll be happy to share what we have," Naruto said, a smile on his face.

Shikamaru gave him a sort of crooked grin in reply. "Fair enough."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

At Shikamaru's house, Naruto and I lounged around on his roof. The three of us laid back and stared up at the clouds, but I could tell Naruto was itching to move. His energy seemed boundless and endless to me at times. Sometimes I pitied him, for I doubted he would ever be able to take a moment to relax without longing to be on the move.

But Naruto enjoyed our company more than he enjoyed movement, so he did not complain and he merely watched the clouds.

Vaguely, and lazily, we each pointed out shapes, and odd things the clouds formed.

After dinner, Naruto and I headed our separate ways as the sun was setting.

I for home and him to that empty, cracked hovel he referred to as his 'home'.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When I came home, it was not even a minute afterwards did Ino come rushing in. My eyes widened in surprise at her abrupt entry, but quickly hardened upon seeing her state. My dear sister, it would seem, had been crying her eyes out.

Her usually beautiful blue eyes were puffy and red. Her cheeks pale and flushed, her clothes dirtied, and her hair a mess. She sniffled and already I was moving forward. My hand grabbed her own and I guided her to the front room and pushed her on the couch before crawling in after her.

My arms snaked around her and I held her tightly. Her arms wrapped around me and she clung to me, her cries becoming more apparent.

No words were exchanged; we only held each other. I offered her comfort and she took it gladly.

When her tears finally subsided, and her hiccups faded away, I looked back up at her with a worried expression.

I was most unhappy about seeing my sister in such a state. "Sister, what happened?"

"Sakura," Ino whispered, "doesn't want to be friends anymore."

My eyes widened and I lifted my small hand to pat her cheek. "Why not?"

"Sasuke-kun."

At the familiar name, I felt a twinge of annoyance. Sasuke had been my sister's claim. The moment she saw him, she passionately declared to us (Sakura and me) how in love she was with him. From that day on, I had merely viewed him as my sister's property. Untouchable.

"What do you mean?" I inquired. Truth be told, I had a sickening feeling that I knew exactly what she meant. Call it a hunch; a gut feeling.

"She doesn't want to be friends with me so _she_ can have Sasuke-kun!" Ino cried, her eyes watering again.

Anger flared through me. Anger at how my sister was hurt and in pain from this girl. Anger at how my sister was being silly and allowing a boy to come between her and Sakura. Anger at said boy for being the object of my sister's attention and ruining her valued friendship with Sakura.

I pushed two of those aside for they were irrational, but I still held onto my anger at Sakura for breaking my sister's heart. She was my sister. I didn't ever want to see her hurt nor would I forgive anyone who did hurt her.

"Why don't I ask Momma to make us some hot chocolate?" I asked. "Then we can stay up late and watch movies. We don't have school tomorrow."

Ino sniffled.

"I can invite Naru-kun and Nii-chan over tomorrow, too," I continued hesitantly, unsure if that would upset her more or not, "and we can all watch movies. Just us four."

Ino's face broke out into a watery smile that shone with gratitude. "Thank you so much, Nao-chan. I would like that very much."

I nodded my head and moved to hug her again.

My sister hugged me back as tight as she used to long before Sakura came into her life.

I was satisfied to say I did not feel any selfish glee in this fact.

Perhaps my time with Naruto has allowed me to develop a better nature.

Or maybe I loved my sister too much to have such selfish thoughts in her time of need.

Either reason worked for me.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Answer:** I want to say Beastly. Simply because I read the book, was expecting some fluffy little beast and got... Not. In my eyes they completely butchered the book, which seriously pissed me off.
> 
>  **Question:** Silliest thing you've ever worn?
> 
> Reviews are **love!**


	5. Arc I - Growing

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

Despite the comfort provided, Ino did not change drastically, as one would have expected from such a break down. She did not join us for lunch—though she was politer to Shikamaru and friendlier with Naruto. And at home, she was very nice and open with me again; which was a pleasant surprise.

Unfortunately, she still did not take her training too seriously ever again. She preferred to hang out with her other female friends of the academy. While that may have upset me months ago, I had come to the conclusion that Ino would not be taking her duties as a kunoichi seriously until needed to.

That did not please me, but I did not complain. She had no real reason to take it seriously for the moment. It did not stop me from worrying over her, nonetheless.

A boy named Chōji had joined our lunch group. Shikamaru said he was 'cool' and I had recognized him as the son of my Papa's other best friend. We had not interacted much before as he was shy and I was far shyer.

Between training and academy, I had found myself to be busy.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Momma," I asked with a tired yawn. My footsteps following behind said woman echoed softly in the quiet house. Momma, dressed in dark clothing and holding a bouquet of flowers from our store, paused in her movement to glance at me.

"Yes, dear?" she inquired in her honey smooth voice. I always liked her voice.

"Where are you going?" I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The sun was barely up and Ino was still fast asleep along with Papa. I wasn't exhausted from work or simply a late sleeper like them and slept lightly the previous night. Momma had awoken me when she peeked in my room to check on me before leaving.

Momma turned fully from the door and gave me a gentle smile. "I am going to visit a friend, dear."

"Who?" I asked, ever curious.

Idly, I wondered if my curiosity was because of my youth, or because I was generally a curious person.

"You wouldn't know her," Momma said softly. "She died long before you were born."

Naturally, that spiked my interest even more so. "Who was she, Momma?"

Momma eyed me for a moment before motioning to follow behind her. Wordlessly, I trailed behind Momma into our sitting room, where she sat down carefully on the couch. She placed her flowers beside her and picked me up. Carefully, she sat me in her lap and brushed back a stray bang from my face.

"Her name was Naomi," She said. "She was my best friend—my first real friend from the academy. You are, in fact, named after her, little Nao-chan."

My eyes widened considerably at such a fact.

Momma brushed my hair gently with her fingers, her eyes glazing over as if she were lost in another world. "We were at war; my team and her team were grouped together at the front lines. We shouldn't have been; we were much too young—still Genin—but it was war and we were desperate. I-I had made a foolish mistake. I had injured an Iwa shinobi, an older shinobi, and he fled. I was mad at him at the time for illogical reasons."

Momma stilled in her brushing. "I followed him blindly and fell right into his trap—a planned ambush. There were," she paused, "many of them. I could only take out so many before I was forced to flee. Although I was able to evade some of them, I was wounded and bleeding heavily. I was found by a single Iwa shinobi and tried to fake my death. I was hopelessly out of chakra and was running out of ideas; I wouldn't stand a chance against him in my current state. As the man approached me..."

Momma's eyes shimmered slightly, not unlike the first sign of tears, but she did not let a single drop escape. "Naomi jumped him. They fought and she nearly won. He was weakened enough for both of us to escape, but at the last minute, he made a lunge towards me. I was weak and dying, so I couldn't dodge it. Naomi lurched in front of me and took his attack straight through the heart."

Momma's eyes moved back towards mine. "She died for me. She could have left me there for dead and lived, but she chose to sacrifice herself for me. I will never forget her, Nao-chan."

"Then where are you going?" My voice was barely a whisper. I felt that if I spoke too loudly I would shatter the fragile silence Momma had wrapped around us in her story. While the story was tragic, I found myself more humbled and awed than sad.

"There is a stone near one of the training grounds," Momma said. "K.I.A. stone. Naomi's name is written on that stone because we couldn't recover her body from the battle. It serves as her grave and I intend to visit her and bring her the flowers."

"May I come?" I inquired. For reasons I could not describe, this story rang a familiar note with me. The idea of risking your life... of dying in the place of another seemed so, _so_ familiar. I found myself relating to the girl who gave her life for my dear mother. But not only her, I realized: _all_ of the shinobi. All of the soldiers dying to protect those they loved. I couldn't explain it. This sympathy and humbling feeling in me. Strangely, I felt able to relate to her and, by extensions, those that have died. I felt _comfortable_ with her. In an almost twisted way, I felt more comfortable with those that had died than I ever had with those living.

Momma smiled and kissed the top of my head. "Sweet girl, not today. You need to go back to bed; it's still early."

I felt a frown tug at my lips. "But I want to give her flowers, too."

Momma chuckled. "When you place flowers at the stone, you not only give flowers for her, but for every shinobi and kunoichi to have died in battle engraved on that stone. When you give flowers, you should mean it for them as well."

"Yes, Momma."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Next weekend, I contemplated which flowers to bring. The sun was set to begin rising in ten minutes and I wanted to get to the stone early enough that no one else would be there. Momma was still asleep with Papa, both exhausted from their work, and Ino wouldn't be up for several more hours.

Carefully, I examined each flower in our shop, my mind rummaging through each name and each meaning. After a full minute passed, I finally settled on a flower.

Bluebells, symbolizing gratitude, humility, and constancy.

I tied a decomposable blue ribbon around a bouquet of bluebells, carefully making sure they were presentable. Satisfied, I then turned away and left the shop.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

The sun was barely beginning to rise, casting the sky a faint violet-blue when I reached the stone. My feet were noiseless against the soft dew covered grass and my hoodie was incredibly warm against the crisp cool air.

A sense of déjà vu washed over me upon seeing the familiar stone, quickly followed by confusion. I was so certain that I had never been to this stone, yet it seemed so familiar and so important. Had I perhaps seen a picture of it somewhere at home?

_Of course not. Why would someone waste their time to take a picture of such a thing?_

I wracked through my brain, carefully picking out memories and discarding them.

The stone was rapidly approaching in front of me and I felt a frown tug at my lips.

An even more familiar man stood in front of the stone. His shoulders hunched and his gaze focused intently—if not sadly—at the stone. More importantly at a fixed spot on the stone. His clothes were that of an ANBU, though his porcelain mask was set around his waist.

Hesitantly, I approached him. "Um."

Immediately, his posture straightened and his gaze swung towards me. The lower half of his face was concealed by a thin mask. I could see a scar run down from his left eye, which glowed a stark red and black.

I blinked up owlishly at him. "Hello."

He eyed me another moment before turning back to the stone, his posture relaxing.

Feeling oddly shy, yet even more oddly bold, I moved to stand beside him before setting down the flowers at the stone. I tucked my legs underneath me, sat on the grass, bowed my head, and closed my eyes.

When the sun had fully risen, the warm rays at my back, my eyes flickered open and I looked up at the man. His eyes had yet to move from their spot and he did not spare me a single glance.

I stood up, my legs stiff from sitting so long, before brushing off bits of grass and dirt. I dipped my head in a silent farewell, both to the man and the stone, before I turned away and headed home.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Two weeks later, I still kept up my ritual of meeting the strange man at the stone and praying for the departed (it was such a comfort, like talking to an old friend). For two weeks, school passed by without much note as I settled into a pattern.

"Naru-kun," I scolded lightly, "you shouldn't be eating so much junk food. Why haven't you touched any vegetables?"

Naruto's face screwed up at the thought and he stuck his tongue out at me. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath while Chōji gave a laugh.

"Not my fault that vegetables taste so nasty," Naruto snorted.

Shikamaru sighed and slouched, relaxing his posture until he was lying

on his back and looking up at the clear sky.

"Nii-chan," I said, "can't you explain it to Naru-kun?"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.

"Ne, ne," Chōji said, "if Naruto-kun doesn't want to eat any of his food, I'll eat it."

I gave a sigh as Naruto's face lit up. "See, see? Chōji's willing to eat it. So it won't go to waste."

My eyes rolled and I gave a sort of amused smile.

That was about when Sasuke showed up.

He sort of sprinted around the building, ran past us and ducked behind the tree. The four of us blinked around at each other.

A twinge of annoyance had me partially scowling at the spot the boy had chosen as his hiding spot before turning back around to see a mob of fan girls—my sister included—rushing from around the building in search of the Uchiha.

Vaguely, they reminded me of a pack of dog-nin on the trail of a missing-nin-kitty.

Once Ino had spotted us, her face lit up and she gave me a warm smile. "Nao-chan, have you seen Sasuke-kun?"

Now, had my sister asked me a year before today, I would have answered her immediately and precisely. A year before today, I was still vying for attention in hopes of stealing her back from Sakura. But it was not a year before today.

I had friends and did not rely so heavily on her attention—and I suspected soon enough I would be able to grow apart from her entirely—and I felt a small amount of pity for Sasuke. My sister could be merciless when the object of her attention was threatening to escape. I should know. My appearance had more than once been brought up to be her object of attention. And while I loved my sister dearly, I did _not_ like playing dress up with _me_ as the doll.

I shook my head. "No, Sister."

Ino's face fell and she pursed her lips before rounding up her group of (fan girls) friends and guiding them back to the front of the school.

Once they were gone, Sasuke poked his head out from behind the tree and grimaced.

I supposed I could see why my sister was so infatuated with him. He was, in fact, a cute little boy. But I found no attraction towards him; only acceptance of his appearance. As far as I would ever be concerned, he would always remain as my sister's in that way. She could have him in a romantic fashion to her heart's pleasure.

I tilted my head and Naruto snorted. "Can't control your fan girls, bastard?"

Sasuke scowled at Naruto. "At least I have some, idiot."

"I wouldn't call that an achievement from what I've seen," Shikamaru said dryly. "They seem more troublesome than they're worth."

Sasuke winced and nodded his head in agreement.

At that moment, his stomach rumbled.

Naruto snorted again and gave him a sly smile. "Hungry, bastard?"

"Shut up, Deadlast," Sasuke glowered.

I tilted my head, my cheeks warming as my shyness took hold again. "Would you care to join us, Uchiha-san?"

Sasuke frowned and looked around at the group before settling his eyes on me. He gazed at me suspiciously, his eyes narrowed. Naruto followed his gaze and gave a hoot of laughter. "Don't even think about it, jerk! Nao-chan wouldn't fan girl over you in a _million_ years!"

Sasuke frowned, but still watched me carefully.

I ducked my head in embarrassment. "I apologize if this, um, offends you, Uchiha-san, but I do not see what is so great about you. I do not know you at all."

Sasuke nodded his head once. "Finally, a sane girl in our class."

I gave a sort of bitter-sweet smile and let the remark slide about my sister's sanity. It was not a lie when it came from him, and I did not see reason to logically defend it. She might be my sister, but my Momma preached to me about honesty. I would be lying in defending her, however much I irrationally wanted to at the moment.

Sasuke sat down beside Shikamaru and Naruto, before frowning at his lack of chopsticks and how he did not have a lunch for himself. Most likely the fan girls stole it away from him, or he was forced to leave it behind in his flight.

I rummaged through the pack before giving him a pair of clean chopsticks. "Momma always packs extra in case another friend joins us. You can use these, Uchiha-san."

Sasuke nodded his head mutely and took the chopsticks before eyeing the food carefully.

I nudged Naruto and he gave me a sort of frown before sighing. "Help yourself, bastard. We always have a lot of food 'cause of Chōji's and Nao-chan's moms, but it doesn't last long. So if you wanna eat, you better do it fast."

Sasuke snorted, but complied.

It would appear we had a new companion for our lunch. If only because we held the only safe spot in the school. Even if the fan girls found us, the majority of them wouldn't come over because of Naruto. Ino might, but so long as Sasuke ducked behind the tree every time they came over it would be safe.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I set down the bluebells once again and sat down in front of the stone. Before I began my usual ritual, I tilted my head up at the man beside me. My shyness for him had slowly dwindled down from the weeks of visiting this place. Now only curiosity took its place.

"Sir?" I asked hesitantly.

His eyes trailed down to look at mine. He said nothing, but I knew I had his attention.

Suddenly feeling shy all over again, I blushed lightly. "M-My name is Nao."

He stared at me another moment, flat eyes locking with icy blue. "Kakashi."

I smiled and nodded my head before I turned back to pray. Kakashi eyed me another moment before he turned back to stare at the stone.

But I had a funny feeling I still had his attention.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"So Sissy won't be over this weekend," I said to the group one lunch break. "She's going to a slumber party at one of her friend's house. So I was wondering if you guys wanted to come over?"

"You know I'll be there," Naruto said with his sunny grin, his clear blue eyes lighting up.

"Troublesome, but I know if I don't go on my own, Mother will make me," Shikamaru muttered.

"I'll come," Chōji said happily.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. "I'd have to ask Father and Mother. If I don't show up by dinner, assume I'm not coming at all."

I nodded my head. My friends could only all come over when Ino was gone. Otherwise Ino would get angry at Shikamaru, or fan girl over at Sasuke. It limited how often they were able to come over, but it didn't seem too much of a hinder, as Ino almost always had plans.

It still amazed me she had yet to figure out my (growing) friendship with Sasuke.

It still amazed me I hadn't ratted him out to her yet.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

After dinner the following night—Sasuke had shown up in the end—the five of us gathered outside as the sky slowly darkened. Each of us held a flashlight in our hands. Naruto and Chōji were grinning in anticipation.

"Everyone know the rules now?" I inquired.

The game was simple. It was flashlight tag.

One of us would be 'it' and give the rest of the team a three minute head start to hide in the lush forest that connected both the Yamanaka Clan and the Nara Clan (and technically the Akimichi Clan), where all of the flowers, herbs and other ingredients grew for our flower shop, the Akimichi food pills _and_ the Nara's special food for their deer.

In the center of the forest was a large oak tree with a red band tied around one of its branches. That would be the safe pole. The first person to reach the pole without getting caught won. But whoever was caught had to join the person who was it and help capture the others.

The person who was it could only capture the others if they touched them.

Because Shikamaru, Chōji and I knew this forest better than the other two, we had a handicap. Sasuke was it while the three of us only had a single minute head start and the others a three minute head start.

"Yep," Naruto said for all of them.

I smiled. "Ready when you are, Sasuke-san."

Sasuke nodded his head.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

In the end, Sasuke had tagged us all.

Don't ever underestimate an Uchiha who had his ego insulted by a certain sunny-blond-sore-loser.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Answer:** Butterfly costume. With giant wings and everything. Don't ask. I try not to think about it.
> 
>  **Question:** Most fun outdoor / gym game you played as a child?
> 
> Reivews are **love**!


	6. Arc I - Remnant

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

More weeks went by unnoticed, routine taking effect for our small group.

One particularly brave day at the stone, I looked up at Kakashi. My shyness forced my cheeks to burn and my eyes to have a strong urge to trail down, but my curiosity was overriding my shyness for the moment. Instead, I fiddled with my fingers in the sleeves of my hoodie.

"Kakashi-san?" I asked tentatively.

Kakashi looked down at me. "Yes, Nao-san?"

I shifted nervously, fighting the urge to look down and away and mumble never mind. I swallowed roughly. "Why are you here every day?"

I blushed brightly at realizing how rude that might have come out to say. That question might very well have been personal for him and I had never intended to sound so direct... I quickly looked down at my feet, preparing to dismiss what I had said, but stopped when he responded.

"All of my loved ones are on this stone," Kakashi said, his voice holding a small twinge of regret. "As well as all of my mistakes. I come here for them, as well as myself."

Shocked by his answer, I looked up and blinked at him owlishly. "So this stone is precious to you?"

"I suppose you could say that," Kakashi allowed.

I nodded my head mutely and looked back down at my feet, shuffling and shifting under his gaze.

"Why do you come here, Nao-san?" Kakashi inquired politely.

I shifted again and looked down at the bluebells I had placed. "I don't know how to explain it."

Kakashi waited patiently for me to continue. My shyness insisted that I stop there and find an excuse to leave, but I found the better of part of me wanting something else. I _wanted_ to talk to him. To tell him my reason for coming here being a ritual and to answer his question. I wanted that very much at that moment. But how to explain it? What words could I use?

"I—My Momma's best friend sacrificed her life for her," I said quietly. "I'm very grateful to her, but not only her. Everyone on here gave their life for this village—for me. I don't really know how to explain it. Everyone on here died for someone else. I feel—I don't know," my brow furrowed, "humbled? Grateful? Whatever it is, I _do_ feel—I mean I—" Words ran through my mind as frustration bubbled in me. _What was the word?_ And suddenly I found it. I latched onto it tightly. "Awe. I'm in awe of them."

"You're in awe of them," Kakashi said slowly, his single visible eye never leaving mine.

In a way, that was how I felt. However, like I mentioned before, it was more like I was able to _understand_ them. I felt, _strongly_ , as if I could relate to their last moments of life. To know their feelings and convictions in wanting to protect those that they loved. It was so strange, and completely irrational as I had never felt that way before in my entire life, but it was _true_. I felt as though, in some weird way, _I_ belonged on that stone. That _I_ had already sacrificed my life for someone, and that it was my turn to rest.

But I couldn't very well say that, could I? It was insane; ridiculous.

I fidgeted under his gaze, breaking eye contact first. My eyes trailed back down to the ground as I blushed brightly. "Yeah."

Kakashi didn't respond for a long time, forcing me to worry that I had said something offensive to him. When he did, there was a small underlying tone of _something_ warm—admiration? affection?—in his voice. "Maa. I suppose you could idolize worse people."

I sputtered, unsure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult, but Kakashi held up a hand, causing me to stop, though I still blushed.

He turned back towards the stone, his hand lifting up to trace over a particular engraving. "My comrade sacrificed his life for me, and in the process gave me the greatest gift he could give. I will never forget that day, or him."

"Who was he?" I asked.

"Uchiha Obito," Kakashi said, a pang of regret in his voice.

I dipped my head. "Do you miss him?"

"Every day."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"S-Sasuke-san," I asked nervously after school, fidgeting with my fingers. Sasuke frowned at me. The two of us were hidden away from the others behind the tree while he waited for his brother to come and pick him up.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, frowning still.

"I have a favor," I confessed, "and I'm really sorry if it's a bother, but—"

"What's the favor?" Sasuke inquired.

"I was, well. There's this, um, friend of mine who really misses one of his friends—that friend died, by the way. It turns out the dead friend is an Uchiha," I said. "I was hoping if maybe I could come with you and well, um, _take_ something from the dead Uchiha to give it to my friend to remember him by."

I cringed inwardly at how rude it sounded, but Sasuke only frowned thoughtfully. "Who is it?"

"Uchiha Obito," I answered.

Sasuke mulled it over for a minute before he nodded his head. "Sure. Come over after dinner and I'll see what I can get you."

I beamed. "Thank you, Sasuke-san!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I waited politely at the front door to the Uchiha main house in the Uchiha compound. I had already knocked, and needed only to wait. When the door slid open, Itachi stared down at me. He gave me a warm smile. "Hello, Nao-chan."

"Hi, Itachi-kun," I said politely. "Is Sasuke-san...?"

"Coming!"

I looked around Itachi's side to see Sasuke barreling down the hallway, carrying a peculiar object in his hands. He gave me a smirkish-grin, and stepped beside Itachi, holding them out. Upon closer inspection I noted they were goggles.

They seemed nearly new, only worn perhaps a few times at best. The frame of the goggles was a dark blue, along with the strap while the actual lens were icy blue. Hesitantly, I took the goggles. "What are they?"

"They're his spare goggles," Sasuke answered me. "His real goggles got busted, but Shisui-san said that Obito always wore these goggles when the lens broke in his original pair, or his strap broke or something. Which apparently happened more frequently than you'd imagine."

I took a closer look at the goggles. "They look brand new."

"Obito-kun always took care of his goggles," Itachi replied. "Even the ones he wore every day looked shiny and new most of the time."

I nodded my head. "And you're sure I can keep it?"

Both of the brothers nodded.

I smiled. "Thank you both, very much."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

The next time I saw Kakashi, I had a fit of shyness over take me so much it took me nearly the entire time to so much as look in his direction. After scolding myself severely for quite a while in my head, I finally mustered up the courage to talk to him.

"Kakashi-san...?"

"Mn."

"I, uhum, have something for you," I said, pulling out a carefully wrapped set of goggles. I held them out to Kakashi who seemed to frown at them before taking the package. He unwrapped it slowly.

His single visible eye widened considerably at seeing what laid inside the package.

"Where did you get this?" Kakashi asked.

"Sasuke-san gave it to me when I asked about Obito-san," I said shyly. "Momma always told me she kept a scarf of her friend she always used to wear. She said it helped her a lot. I thought maybe having something of Obito's would help you, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi stared at the goggles another moment before looking down at me, his eye no longer wide, but hiding a twist between amusement, and melancholy. "I do not need these to remember Obito by, but I thank you for the thought, Nao-san."

"Oh..."

Carefully, Kakashi knelt down in front of me, holding out the goggles. "But I think these goggles would be better suited for you."

My face flushed, and I struggled for a moment to find the nerve to so much as make a sound. "B-B-But—"

With gentle hands, Kakashi took the goggles, and placed them on my head, propping them up at the top of my head, and pulling the strap around back. He lifted my long hair to tuck it under before dropping my hair back down. He placed a warm hand at the top of my head. "Now, now, I want you to have them, Nao-san."

I blushed brightly, looking down.

"Nao- _chan_ ," I mumbled.

Kakashi tilted his head. "Only if you drop the 'san' for me."

I looked back up, surprised. "I, ah, o-okay."

Kakashi's eye crinkled and I had a feeling he was smiling.

I felt pleased at that information, my heart fluttering.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

It was an ordinary night like every other night when it happened.

When it did happen, I must confess how completely off guard I felt from it. Some vague sense of me felt as if I knew it was coming. Which was ridiculous because predicting such an event would have been impossible.

I remember sleeping lightly in my bed, curled up and clutching my blanket when I heard it. The strangled gasp that was quickly muffled from a little ways from my room. From the front room, if I was not mistaken.

Bleary eyed and drowsy, I climbed out of my bed. I shivered lightly before I grabbed my hoodie and pulled it over me. My feet made a soft padding noise as I walked down the wooden hallway towards the front room.

Momma and Papa were standing at the door, an unknown ANBU shinobi at the front door. I blinked up, wide eyed as I hurried over to their side. The three of them spared me a glance as I quickly clung onto Papa's leg.

"Why are you awake, sweetie?" Momma asked gently. "You should go back to bed."

"What's going on?" I asked quietly, feeling shy around the unknown person.

Papa and Momma exchanged a glance before Papa very carefully knelt down before me, keeping eye contact with me. "Your friend, Uchiha Sasuke, underwent a very traumatic experience."

My entire body froze, eyes widening. "Where is he?"

"He's in the hospital for the moment—"

"I want to go see him," I blurted out. "Please, Papa!"

Papa gave a small nod. "I had figured you would say that. Perhaps being around familiar contact would be good, but—"

Papa and Momma exchanged another look. Papa looked back to the ANBU. "As soon as I drop my daughter off, I will head to the _scene_ immediately."

"Understood, sir."

Faster than I could blink, the ANBU was gone. I looked up at Papa, noticing how solemn and grim faced he was. I looked over at Momma, who looked so sad and lonely at that moment. My heart twisted inside my chest and I felt very small at that moment.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Sasuke sat upright in a hospital bed, an IV stuck in his arm, but he paid it no heed. Instead he merely sat perfectly still, staring blankly at the wall in front of him with dead eyes. I heard the door click shut behind me and knew the last doctor was gone.

Hesitantly, I approached him, clutching the blanket I had stolen from my bed. Sasuke paid me no heed and so I climbed onto the bed. Softly, I touched his arm, afraid if I was too hard he might shatter before me. When he didn't respond, I touched him again, more firmly.

His skin was freezing cold beneath me.

With a bit more resolve, I pulled the blanket around the two of us, wrapping it tightly. I used my arms to wrap around him and I pulled him in to lean against me, as my sister had done for me so many times. I moved my hand to carefully pet his hair.

In the most soothing voice I could muster, I murmured quietly to him about unimportant things. Rambling only to offer him a distraction from the horror of his imagination. It was the same thing sister would do for me whenever I was scared or sad.

I could only imagine how terrible it must have been. To watch your entire family slaughtered before your eyes by your own sibling. Vaguely, I tried to picture Ino doing such a thing and the pain inside my chest was unbearable. How lonely that would have been. How awful.

Even hearing the secondhand mutterings of what had happened from the doctors was enough to send _me_ reeling into a light shock. I couldn't even begin to grasp what my friend was feeling.

Time passed slowly for the two of us. Not once did Sasuke respond to me, and not once did I try and make him respond.

The door slid open and Papa entered. He dipped his head towards me.

"Papa?" I asked him. "What's going to happen to him?"

Papa's expression grew more solemn, his face carefully blank. "A section of the Uchiha compound has been cleared of the incident. There is nothing physically wrong with him so he will be sent back there."

My eyes widened with horror as Sasuke flinched. "No! You can't do that to him, Papa. That's wrong! Please, can't he come home with us?"

Papa gave me a sad look. "We've already petitioned for him to stay with one of the major Clans here, but the Council won't hear of it. They say we'd only use him for political gain; as such he's forbidden to stay with us."

I clutched Sasuke tightly, a wave of fierce (familiar) protectiveness coming over me. "Please, Papa. You can't send him back there; that's too—that's too horrible."

"I'm sorry, kitten," Papa said gently. "But there is nothing else—"

"What about a non-Clan apartment?" I interrupted. "A friend who has no ties to any of the Clans in the Leaf? Could he stay there for a while, please? At least until they completely cleared the compound and—and—"

Papa eyed me carefully. "There is no rule against it. Do you have someone in mind?"

"I-I do..."

I looked back down, my hand smoothing out the ruffled hair I messed up in my fit of protectiveness. "May I stay with them, too, Papa?"

Papa hesitated. "Kitten, I don't think—"

"He's my friend," I said quietly. "He has no one else left, Papa. He'd do the same for me."

Our eyes met, mine filled with silent pleading and Papa's a cross of understanding and concern. A moment passed before he gave a slow nod. "You can stay with him and your friend until he's better."

My face lit up and I smiled. "Thank you, Papa."

Papa nodded his head. "I'll sign his release form and walk the two of you to your friend's house."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I squeezed Sasuke's hand, my blanket still wrapped around his shoulders. He didn't look so dead anymore; now he looked a cross between horror and sheer depression. It broke my heart to see my friend like this. I felt strongly dissatisfied about the whole ordeal, but I was content in knowing I would be able to be there for him. And hopefully everyone else would be too. I was certain that Shikamaru would know what to do about the whole mess, and that Chōji's gentle nature would be most helpful.

Papa stood to my other side, and knocked on the door to the rundown apartment quietly. He knew who the apartment belonged to. He seemed hesitant in still allowing me to stay, but my Papa trusted me. Between Ino and I, I had shown to be the more mature one. Even if only slightly. Besides, this was a shinobi village.

If he really needed to he could be there in less than thirty seconds. Not to mention that I was capable of taking care of myself—or at that point at the very least _running away_ and getting help.

The door slowly creaked open, revealing a drowsy Naruto who was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He frowned upon seeing us, his face twisting into confusion. "Wha...?"

"Naru-kun," I said quietly. "Do you mind if Sasuke-san and I stay here for a while?"

Naruto blinked at the two of us, taking in Sasuke's worn down form, before he nodded his head and opened the door widely. "'Course. Come on in."

I looked back up at Papa and he gave me a smile, swooping down to kiss the top of my head. In a quiet voice he murmured. "I'm going to have two of our Clan Jōnin stationed here twenty-four-seven. It's not that I don't trust you, kitten, it's simply..."

I caught his eyes and gave him a smile. "I know, Papa. I love you, too."

"I can't guarantee he will be allowed to stay here for very long."

"I understand. Will he have any say in the matter?"

"Perhaps some. The Council will have an official discussion on what to do about him when he's in a better state to actually attend."

"Okay, thank you Papa."

Papa smiled again before nodding politely to Naruto, and quickly vanishing.

Naruto stepped aside, and I silently guided Sasuke inside the house.

"I only have one bed," Naruto said apologetically. "And sorry about the mess. Wasn't expecting company and all."

I smiled at Naruto. "It's okay. We're small enough we can share and I don't think _anyone_ was expecting this..."

"What exactly _is_ this?" Naruto asked me, still frowning at Sasuke.

I shot him a pained look, mouthing I'd explain it later. He seemed to take that as an answer, nodding his head quietly. I stepped around Sasuke, looking him over carefully. "Sasuke-san, do you need anything before we go to bed?"

And that's when Sasuke looked at me. _Really_ looked at me.

His eyes were wide with fright and such sadness, my heart clenched tightly and my stomach dropped. They were bright with unshed tears and his bottom lip wavered. Naruto quickly caught on to the expression because he gave Sasuke a worried one.

Then Sasuke's arm wrapped around me and he began sobbing. I bit my lip to fight back the tears that wanted to join him, instead I fell with him to the floor, holding him tightly. My eyes locked with Naruto's and he seemed to catch the hint. Naruto ghosted towards us, dropping down and wrapping his arms from behind Sasuke.

Sasuke's entire body shook, but not a single sound escaped him. My shoulder was already soaked from his tears and it didn't take much longer before I silently joined him. Naruto's arms held us both, while his eyes remained tear free, it still held a sadness—sadness for us.

This night was too great of a reminder of how tragic reality really was.

And I had never felt so helpless in my life.

I hated it.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** Most horrible assignment you've ever had to do?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	7. Arc I - Question

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

I was moving quietly through the streets, my mind wandering to places unknown. I was heading back to Naruto's apartment from home. I had returned home the following morning and Momma had been quick to pack everything we would need, informing me that she would stop by herself—along with the other clan matriarchs from the Ino-Shika-Cho trio—in a while.

As I passed the school grounds, I caught sight of a (vaguely) familiar girl.

I paused, unable to resist moving towards her. She was a year older than Ino, if I remembered correctly. I had seen her a few times before around the academy, but never bothered to truly interact with her. I stopped myself short of actually _calling out to her_ , remembering myself and feeling a faint flush of embarrassment at my previous sudden urge to greet her.

However, before I could make my unnoticed escape, the girl paused, turning to face me. She smiled brightly. "Oh, hi there. I'm Tenten, what's your name?"

I blushed, my hands burying themselves in my hoodie pocket. "N-Nao. Yamanaka Nao, umm."

Tenten nodded. "I've seen you around. You're something of a prodigy, aren't you? That's cool. Not a lot of girls in my class take their training seriously, you know?"

I thought of Sakura and (wince) my sister, Ino. I nodded. "Y-Yeah."

Tenten smiled brightly. "But I saw you practicing the other day and you looked really into it. Wish you were in _my_ class."

I giggled nervously, fidgeting under her surprisingly warm and thoughtful gaze. Tenten nodded. "Mm. Well, actually, I wanted to approach you earlier, but it never really seemed like the right time. Say, how would you like to be my sparring partner? Please? I _really_ need a moving target and Mina-sensei mentioned that you could use help in evasion, right? So it's a win-win! What do you say?"

My cheeks were on fire, both at the fact that she had asked about me, and that she was actually inviting me to train. I could only nod in response. "Um, y-yes, please. I look forward to training with you, Tenten-senpai!"

Tenten nodded again, smiling. "Cool. Meet me here after school every other day, 'kay?"

"O-Okay. I-I don't know if I'll be able to this week, but I'll try."

"It's cool. See you around, Nao-chan!"

I nodded again before making my escape.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

We were given a week off from school. At least Sasuke and I were, I was unsure if Naruto was, but either way he ended up skipping. Shikamaru and Chōji skipped the majority of those days, as well. We mostly stayed in Naruto's apartment, where Sasuke refused to leave. So we stayed there and in all blunt honesty, we took care of him. Sasuke was catatonic for the majority of the day, merely going through the process of caring for himself—eating, drinking, bathing, etc—but never revealing his emotions. Only when night came around did he allow himself to show us how he really was.

No words were exchanged about that night, no words were needed. Naruto and I merely held him as he cried silently. Even in sleep, with him tucked in between us and all of us curled up tightly, he awoke screaming from his nightmares, and Naruto and I had to console him back to reality. On the nights that Shikamaru or Chōji stayed, it was equally as bad and Chōji even started singing a lullaby for him.

But reality was cruel.

Only at the end of the week, did he begin show some emotion, however limited it was.

As I set down the plate of basic breakfast (for it was my turn to cook)—eggs and toast, one of the _few_ dishes I knew how to make from Momma—in front of both Naruto, Sasuke and I, he spoke.

"I'm going to kill him."

Naruto and I looked up from our meal, and towards Sasuke. There was not a hint of sadness on his face; no, instead there was grim determination.

I blinked. "Are you certain?"

"Are you saying I'm weak?" Sasuke asked, his eyes flashing.

"At the moment you are," Naruto put in mildly.

Sasuke glowered at Naruto.

"That's not what I'm saying," I said soothingly, attempting to diffuse the situation because I really wasn't in the mood for a morning fight. "I'm merely questioning your motivation for doing this. He is your brother, and I know you love him."

"He _murdered_ our family," Sasuke said, his eyes flashing again. "He's no longer my brother, and I _don't_ love him."

"You don't mean that," I said softly. "Even if Ino killed my clan, I would still love her. She's my sister and always will be. But what I meant was, do _you_ want to kill him or does your _father_ want to kill him?"

Sasuke's eyes widened.

Even in the few encounters I've had with Sasuke's father, I knew he was an unbending man. Sasuke constantly strived for his attention—for his recognition at anything Sasuke had done—but was constantly shoved aside for Itachi instead. He might have been a great leader, but he was a terrible father.

Not that I blamed him. The Uchiha upbringing was a harsh thing and he had to adapt to it himself. I doubt he meant to hurt his son, to constantly drive a wedge between himself and him, but it became painfully clear to me that he simply did not know _how_ to deal with Sasuke. He was awkward at fatherhood at best.

It did not entirely excuse his actions.

Vengeance for the clan would have been the first thing he would have demanded. It was all for the clan name, for the _glory_ of the Uchiha Clan; but, none of that was Sasuke at the moment.

At the moment Sasuke was only a little boy who lost his entire family in one night.

" _I_ do," Sasuke whispered, but his resolve sounded less firm.

"Are you certain?" I asked gently. Some part of me didn't want him to go down that path. Itched and screamed at me to lead him away, manipulate him away if needed be. That if he went down that path, something horrible would happen. The instinct of it was so fierce I could do little but go along with it and trust it.

"No," Sasuke whispered, his eyes trailing downcast as he slowly prepared to lock himself back up again.

"I think," I said carefully, "that maybe instead you should work on finding out _why_ Itachi did it."

Yes, yes, why, why. That question echoed in the back of my mind and for some reason I felt as if I could answer it. It was silly and stupid and preposterous, but nevertheless it was what I felt. And I felt as if I had to bring _Sasuke_ to question this. To answer it.

"He already told me," Sasuke said. "To test himself. To pit me against him. He wants me to hate him."

"That doesn't sound like Itachi," Naruto snorted dubiously.

I cocked my head. "I agree with Naruto. It's seems a little impossible anyway. I knew Itachi was a prodigy, but to be able to kill the _entire_ Uchiha Clan in only a few _hours_... It doesn't seem right."

Naruto nodded his head. "Yeah, yeah. I mean, aren't they some really kick-ass ANBU from the Uchiha Clan? So wouldn't that put them at least on the same level as Itachi?"

Sasuke frowned, his eyes lifting back up, and flickering between the two of us. "Yeah... that's right."

I nodded my head, my instinct seeming to guide my words.

"So doesn't that mean he had help?" I guessed.

"It does," Sasuke whispered, his eyes wide.

"Probably from some stranger," Naruto added. "Or strang _ers_. They must have snuck off right before Itachi finished up, that way they wouldn't get caught."

"And the entire massacre would be blamed on Itachi, and no one would be the wiser," I finished. "They would be getting away with it too. Most likely only Itachi knows who they are."

"Then I'll make him tell me," Sasuke said fiercely, his eyes flashing again, but this time with only determination.

"You aren't going to kill Itachi?" Naruto asked, frowning slightly.

Sasuke looked away and pursed his lips. "I don't know. If I have to, then I will. But I want to take care of these unknown _bastards_ first. To think they can hide away and get away with this: I won't let that happen. At least Br—Ita—the _bastard_ —isn't afraid to claim what he's done."

Naruto nodded his head, smiling with ease. "Yeah, yeah. That way you won't even have to kill your own brother either."

Sasuke hesitated. "I said I didn't know, and I meant it. What Brother did—I don't know what to think of it."

Naruto and I exchanged a glance. "Whatever your choice is, we're with you all the way."

Sasuke looked at us before a small smile graced his lips. "I know."

Naruto nodded firmly. "Good, bastard. Nice to have you back, by the way."

Sasuke snorted. "Idiot." He paused. "I want to move back in the compound."

I gave him an alarmed look, worry mixed with fear written across my face. He caught my look and continued, "But I want you two to move in with me."

Naruto gaped. "What?! Are you serious?"

"I don't—I mean I—What I'm trying to say is—" Sasuke struggled for a moment before I placed a small hand over his own. I gave him a small smile.

"We know," I said. "I'll stay with you for as long as you need me, Sasuke-san. I'll move in with you." _So long as it's okay with Papa and Momma._

Sasuke nodded. "And Shikamaru and Chōji too, maybe. I don't know. I—I don't want to be— I don't want to go back there—"

 _Alone_.

Naruto frowned. "You know I'll always be there for a friend and all, but I kind of like this place..."

"We can make it into a hide out?" I suggested shyly. "You know, a small place for the three of us to hide away from the world. Ino and I used to have a small den in the bushes of our training ground. Then one of our cousins burnt all the bushes down in a training accident."

Naruto chortled, and Sasuke allowed another small smile.

Naruto nodded his head, grinning widely. "I like that idea! Alright, jerk-butt, I guess I'll _grace_ you with the _magnificence_ of my _presence_."

"Your vocabulary has improved, _ignoramus_ _cretin_ ," Sasuke said, a smirk forming on his face.

Naruto's face screwed up as he tried to think through the words. I leaned over the table and whispered their meaning to him and his face flushed. "You bastard!"

And for the first time in a while, Uchiha Sasuke laughed.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

We had fallen into a routine within the first three weeks of moving into the newly refurbished Uchiha compound with Sasuke. Shikamaru and Chōji didn't officially move in with us, but they both had rooms nonetheless and stayed some (most) nights. I didn't 'officially' live at the compound either, but I rarely ever went home. That same instinctual part of me from before seemed to be screaming at me to not give the Uchiha boy a second to be alone. We had gone back to school, the following day of 'moving in' and found that Sasuke's fan club had grown in numbers exponentially.

Finding it increasingly harder to find a safe place to eat at school, the five of us decided it would be better if we simply ate at Naruto's previous home, now currently our secret base. It was close enough to get there within five minutes of our hour long lunch/recess break, so we had plenty of time. Best of all, no fan girls tried to follow us off school, and the few that did we were able to lose fairly quickly through short cuts and alleyways.

We only 'lived in' a small portion of the Uchiha compound: the main house. Sasuke kept his old room, the seven year old temporarily sharing it with Naruto and I on _those_ nights. I took the old study, keeping all of the old books and scrolls but replacing the actual furniture with my old bed and desk from home. Naruto took the spare guest room, happily filling it with newly paid furniture and small potted plants. Shikamaru took the second guest room and Chōji the previously known as storage room.

We left Sasuke's parents' room and Itachi's room alone, using them only for storage.

Upon returning home from school, the three of us would work in a small group for homework. Though Sasuke and I finished early. Sasuke would then either train, or help me assist Naruto in the school work. By the time Naruto was done we had usually an hour to spare before dinner.

Sasuke and I trained during that hour, while Naruto preferred to leave to do his pranks. Shikamaru would vary between napping and cloud watching on the roof. Chōji was rather content with relaxing or even making us meals: the boy could _cook_.

When the hour was up, the three of us ate dinner, then all three of us trained in the Uchiha training grounds for another two hours before we took turns bathing and headed off to bed.

Of course, it wasn't constantly the five of us. Papa or Momma would visit me frequently, usually right after we finished homework to help me train before staying for dinner. It wasn't _too_ often as they both still had jobs, but still. The same applied for Shikamaru and Chōji's mother. And after a couple weeks of training with Tenten, I had slowly brought her over and introduced her to everyone. She seemed to be readily accepted enough, which was good as I quite liked her.

We had fallen into a routine that suited the all of us well.

However, during those three weeks whenever I visited the stone...

... Kakashi wasn't there.

But on the fourth week, he was.

And much to my surprise, he was no longer wearing his ANBU outfit, but instead decked out in the Jōnin uniform. I gave a startled shout upon seeing him and before I could reign in my emotions, I dropped my flowers and barreled into his leg.

A small shout of surprise came from him and he looked down at me. His only visible eye crinkled. "Something wrong, Nao-chan?"

"You were gone," I mumbled, my cheeks quickly flaming upon realization of what I had done. With great reluctance I pried myself off him. "I was worried."

"I'm sorry," Kakashi said surprisingly gently. "I was caught up in an investigation and was limited on time to come here."

"It's okay," I said quietly. "I was—I was just worried, 'sall."

Kakashi patted my head, ruffling my hair slightly. My eyes trailed down to the goggles around my neck before looking back up at Kakashi. "How come you're not dressed like ANBU anymore?"

Kakashi gave a quiet snort. "The Hokage wants me to take on my own team now. He actually believes I'd be _good_ at mentoring."

"I think you'll do amazing," I said honestly.

Kakashi snorted again. "When will _you_ be graduating?"

"Four years," I said. "I'm going to wait and graduate with my friends. That way we might be able to be on the same team together."

Kakashi nodded his head quietly. "Well then, who knows, I might wait for you."

I smiled at that.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"So where exactly have you been staying, Nao-chan?" Ino asked me curiously one late weekend afternoon.

I blinked up at her, tearing my gaze away from the scroll I had currently been reading. It was the weekend and as such I had come over for clan training with Papa and occasionally the elders. Ino had finished her training and was sitting across from me on outside walkway, breathing heavily and red faced.

I thought carefully on how to respond to her question.

I had never informed my beloved sister of my newest living arrangement and neither had anyone else. That was because I was worried about her reaction. On one hand she could be most displeased with me and play a jealous sibling. Even though I meant no harm to her, ah, _pursuit_ of Sasuke, he was my _friend_ and as such I would stand by his side. However that might not deter her wrath, something which I was disinclined to risk.

On the other hand she could use it to her advantage, which might be worse. For the moment, Sasuke was still recovering. It was a slow process, but it was still happening, so long as he was able to focus himself on empowering or positive things. Those things did not include my sister or her frenzied friends. In fact, they would have a negative influence on him, much as I was reluctant to admit.

Ino would more than likely use me as an excuse to visit frequently and disturb Sasuke, something he would be not too pleased with. Not that I blamed him of course, but the fact of the matter remained the same.

Absently, I wondered what excuse Papa and Momma had given her and why she was only _now_ questioning me.

"What did Papa and Momma tell you?" I asked her.

"Papa only said you were staying with a friend," Ino said, her nose crinkling.

"I am," I said.

"How come?"

"They need my help," I answered. "Wouldn't you stay with one of your friends if they were hurt, Sissy?"

Ino smiled. "'Course I would. I miss you, is all."

"I miss you too," I told her sincerely. "At least I'm not totally gone."

Ino nodded her head. "At least there's that. Ne, ne, did you study for the exam? I can't seem to focus, think you can help me?"

I giggled and nodded my head, because _that_ was something I could do.

Something the two of us could do.

Together.

Like the old times.

****Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **

_**Extra:** _

It was raining.

Even with my hood pulled up and my hands stuffed in my pocket of my hoodie, I was still shivering from the cold. The flowers I had set down at the stone already seemed to be falling apart from the harsh onslaught of the rain. I had only arrived at the stone a handful of minutes ago, and already I was ready to leave. I normally stayed for half an hour, sometimes a bit longer if I really lost myself in my thoughts, but today it would have to be cut short, lest I get sick and miss a day at school.

I fumbled a bit with the goggles that covered my eyes, thankful that I had them, as it made seeing in the rain a bit easier. Not much, but it was enough. I glanced up at Kakashi.

He had been here before me, and seemed unbothered of the rain. He didn't appear like he would be moving anywhere.

My fingers twitched inside my hoodie, and I fought down my growing sense of shyness, trying to instead muster up some courage.

I wasn't overly familiar with Kakashi, he was a friendly presence beside me when I came here. We talked, sure, but it was only idle chatter. He wasn't a precious friend, or anything of the sort, so I really had no right—I had no right to be worried for him. No right to ask anything of him, either. Yet even with that in mind, I couldn't help, but reach out towards him. My fingers grasped on the edge of his sleeve and I pulled gently.

Slowly, Kakashi turned his head towards me, his eyes were unusually devoid of light.

"I-It's raining," I whispered, shivering.

Kakashi gave a slow blink. "Yes."

"Y-You're gonna c-catch a cold," I continued, my teeth now chattering.

He didn't respond.

I tugged on his arm again. "C-Come on. L-Let's go someplace w-warm."

He didn't respond for a long while, and I had to tug a couple more times before he moved. He didn't say a word, instead he allowed me to guide him out of the grounds and towards the nearest tea shop. We entered the nearly deserted shop, before taking a seat at a booth. I curled up in myself, wrapping my arms around my legs and resisting the urge to sneeze.

Kakashi shifted as he sat beside me, glancing down at me.

"How do the goggles fit?"

I glanced up at him, surprised he was the one to instigate a conversation. I gave him a shy smile. "Well. Th-Thank you."

"Don't mention it. While we're here, are you hungry? Did you have breakfast?"

"I-I am a little hungry; and n-no, I didn't," I responded, sniffling. "D-Did you? Are you?"

"Mn. I didn't have breakfast, but I'm not hungry."

"B-Big dinner?"

"No."

I frowned, peering up at him in blatant disbelief. "Then you m-must be hungry."

"I'm fine."

I scowled at him, starting to realize something.

He would have stayed out there in the rain, had I not dragged him here. I gave an annoyed sigh, glancing over at a nearby waitress.

"Excuse me, M-Miss, but can we p-please have some izanagi with sweet tea and—" There was a slight hitch in my words, as my response flew out naturally, before I could stop or even think about it. "—miso soup with eggplants and black t-tea, please"

She gave me a bright smile before nodding and heading away. I rummaged through my pants pocket, pulling out the cash that Mommy and Papa insisted I carried with me at all times.

"You must be quite hungry," Kakashi observed quietly, his tone as flat as his eyes.

"Not all of it is for me," I muttered irritably. "You're going to be eating, too."

"I do believe I mentioned I wasn't hungry."

I turned towards him, then, and shot him a glare. "You're a lying liar who lies."

Kakashi blinked in surprise.

I pointed outside, where it was still raining heavily. "You would h-have stayed out th-there all day, wouldn't you? You would have stayed out there and gotten sick and not care, wouldn't you?!"

Kakashi seemed mildly annoyed at my words, his eyes narrowing. "So?"

I glowered at him, standing up in my seat so I could meet him eye to eye. "That's selfish! You need to take care of yourself, t-too, you know! What about your friends? Family? You'll just end up worrying them sick if you don't take care of yourself. That's why—That's why you have to, and that's why you're going to sit here, wait out the rain, and eat. Because you need to."

"You're incorrect on two accounts," Kakashi said smoothly, a cold edge in his voice. "One, I don't _need_ to do anything. Two, I don't have any living friends or family."

I faltered, my eyes widening as I stared at him, immediately I felt chastised and shameful of my rather blunt demands, losing all of my courage.

It only lasted for a moment, though, when I remembered what I was wearing.

I then scowled, pointing directly at the goggles. "You're wrong! You gave me these goggles—so—so—that makes us friends! You trusted something as special as a memento to one of your precious people, so that means you're my friend, now. O-Okay? So _I'll_ worry about you if you don't care of yourself. So that's why—that's why—"

I trailed off, losing nerve as I continued to stare at his impassive face. I lost it entirely at the end and blushing brightly, I sat back down in my seat. Mutely, I stared down at my lap, and the two of us settled into silence. No words were spoken or actions performed until the food and drinks had arrived.

Kakashi gave a small sigh, staring at his meal. " _Mouii_... You're rather troublesome."

I glanced away, flushing.

Kakashi gave a small humorless chuckle before I felt his hand rest on the top of my head. He patted it. "I guess I better eat, then, huh? It wouldn't do to needlessly worry a friend, after all."

My eyes widened and I glanced up sharply at him. I felt my cheeks warm as I caught Kakashi smiling at me through his eyes.

I smiled shyly back. "Mn!"

"Say, how'd you know I liked eggplants?"

I shrugged. "It just came to me."

"Mn... is that so?"

****Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** The most awkward situation you've ever been in?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	8. Arc II - Graduation

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Four years later, a stupid exam, an eventful night, and finally we had graduated.

Right after school, I was pulled away from my friends to celebrate with my family. Naruto had failed the exam and was rather depressed, so I was even more reluctant to celebrate with them, especially considering how Shikamaru and Chōji had families like myself, but _they_ did not; but Sasuke and Naruto both assured me they would be fine.

Still, I had only stayed for dinner before leaving in a rush to check on them. Naruto had gone out and Sasuke was waiting at home. Chōji and Shikamaru, as well as Tenten, arrived soon after myself. With their help, I made a batch load of Naruto's favorite desserts in hopes of cheering him up. However, much to our surprise, Naruto came home bearing a Leaf headband and was most excited.

It was a pleasant surprise, though.

And so, all of us sat together in our usual seats at the front row. Naruto to my left, Sasuke to my right and I in the middle with Shikamaru and Chōji behind us.

It was amazing, really, how no one questioned my friendship with Sasuke. Well, except for Ino.

It was inevitable, I supposed, that my sister would find out about my frequent visits to Sasuke.

I still remembered the look on her face when she discovered the truth—it didn't really matter how she figured it out; what mattered was her reaction and my own reaction. It was a terrifying moment for me. I loved my sister; I loved my sister dearly and the utter shock on her face was enough to send my heart pounding and guilt and self-disgust rising up.

_I felt horrible. I had only been thinking in Sasuke's best interest, in what he needed. In the process, I disregarded my own sister's wants._

_"I_ — _" I trailed off, unsure of what to do, what to say._

_"Nao-chan," Ino said softly, her eyes trailing down. "He's the friend? Sasuke-kun's the friend you've been staying with, that you've been helping?"_

_"I'm sorry," I whispered, my eyes stinging and my fingers clutched tightly at the edges of my hoodie. "I'm so sorry, Sissy."_

_"Do you love him?"_

_I froze, looking up sharply at my sister and allowing feelings of revulsion to show on my face. "No. Sasuke-kun is_ — _He's a friend, Sissy. He's_ — _he's family."_

 _Ino eyed me another moment before she sighed, nodding her head tiredly. "I believe you. I-I already lost Sakura to him. I don't_ — _"_

_I hesitated a moment before I moved towards her, wrapping my arms around her waist and burying my head into her chest. "No. You won't. Not ever. I will always be your little sister and I won't ever let anyone take that away from me, away from us."_

_"So why didn't you...?"_

_Feeling tired of lying to my own sister, I decided to go with brutal honesty. "He didn't need_ — _he didn't need to be admired or idolized. He didn't_ — _what he needed were people who would treat him as himself, not someone to be admired. He needed normalcy. I was... I didn't think..."_

 _"I don't like it. I really, really don't like it." Ino took a shaky breath. "But if it was in Sasuke-kun's best interest," another deep breath, "and I can see how much it pained you to keep it a secret," she paused, "and I don't_ — _I don't want to lose you. I can live with it," Ino murmured softly into my hair._

_"You don't want to see him, do you, Sissy?"_

_"Not through you," Ino laughed quietly. "I'll earn Sasuke-kun's attention on my own, thank you very much."_

_I smiled. "Thank you, Sissy."_

I gave an inward wince upon hearing Ino and Sakura's screech for first place into the classroom.

Naruto snickered under his breath. "Can't believe _you're_ related to _her_."

"Can't believe _you_ actually liked pinky," I retorted, causing Naruto to wince. The moment Naruto confessed his crush to Sakura, I demanded to know why. As far as I was concerned, that girl would forever remain as _the girl who made my sister cry_. It felt like a sort of betrayal that Naruto would suddenly like her. But I amended that, as Naruto was also my dear friend, if Sakura somehow made him happy, I would let it slide.

When he was unable to give an answer _aside_ from 'I just do!', I declared him an idiot and sulked for a good half hour. When Naruto questioned my mood, I explained to him how I felt and that it seemed wrong to like someone for superficial reasons. Which was the reasons I had assumed Naruto had for liking Sakura.

He didn't want me to be unhappy, so he backed off. I told him I would be fine with their relationship _if_ he could give me a good reason to like her for _herself_. Not superficial reasons like 'she's pretty', 'she's smart', 'she has nice hair', etcetera, etcetera.

When he didn't succeed at first, instead of trying and trying again, Sasuke and Shikamaru knocked some sense into him, saying she was too young to be taking relationships seriously and was only a silly fan girl. Instead, Naruto should wait until after graduation for her to mature enough to take him seriously.

Naruto relented with great reluctance. I think it might have mainly been because Sasuke and Shikamaru threatened to burn all his ramen if he didn't back down.

He was silly like that.

But for the moment, Naruto did not crush on anyone.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura cooed, rushing over to us with Ino right in tow.

"Hey, who do you think you're talking to, Billboard Brow?" Ino demanded, shoving Sakura aside. "Hi, Sasuke-kun!"

"You're one to talk!" yet another one of Sasuke's fan girls called out, moving up from her seat to try and talk to Sasuke again.

Sasuke kept an indifferent face, but having lived with him so long I could tell by the way his right eyebrow twitched ever so slightly that he was beyond annoyed.

I nudged Naruto and pointed to the eyebrow. Naruto snickered, but I shushed him quickly when Sasuke shot us a dirty look. Though I wasn't able to keep in my small giggle.

Iruka stepped into the room. "That's enough girls, take your seats."

"But Sasuke isn't standing up, sensei," Naruto said.

I laughed, and Sasuke rolled his eyes slightly. "You must have me confused with yourself, dumbass. Aren't you the one who came up with the gender-bender jutsu?"

I laughed again, smiling widely as Naruto huffed and puffed, but simply couldn't blow Sasuke down. The fan girls all around us cheered for Sasuke's retort.

"Settle down, class," Iruka said, though a little more exasperated this time. "It's time we called out for teams. Alright? Team One—"

Naruto nudged me with his foot as names were droned off. I gave a small yawn, stretching back into my seat.

"... Team 7, Uzumaki Naruto, Yamanaka Inonao, Uchiha Sasuke..."

"Hell yes!" Naruto shouted, jumping out of his seat and fist pumping. I was smiling widely and even Sasuke allowed himself to smile—okay, _smirk_ —in public. "Watch out world, the best team has been born!"

I laughed/giggled, my body and voice too high to properly laugh, but I was determined to try it anyway so it came out as a cross between the two. Sasuke snorted. "Idiot in front, down."

"Kiba's not up here," Naruto said, wide-eyed and innocently.

"Hey!" Kiba shouted from the back while Shikamaru and Chōji snickered.

Naruto laughed, but plopped into his seat, still bearing a grin.

Not once did my own grin drop for the remainder of class.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"He's late," Naruto said.

Indeed he was. Our sensei who should have been there _hours_ ago was running behind. Or ditching us. I couldn't tell at the moment. Either way, I was incredibly displeased. I did not like to be kept waiting. I was not a patient person and I detested unpunctuality. I was the sole reason Naruto was never late to class for the last four years. I would _not_ tolerate it.

So while Naruto set up his prank, Sasuke and I sat side by side and allowed him to do it without reprimanding him. We were both growing irritated. Even if neither of us really thought it would work, it certainly wouldn't hurt to try.

Naruto leaned back, grinning hugely at his work.

It was at that moment, the door opened and in stepped in a very familiar man.

My mouth dropped open as the eraser fell down. Naruto burst into laughter, but my eyes were wide with shock. Kakashi looked at us, staring at us indifferently until his single showing eye rested on me.

"Kakashi!" I shouted happily, lurching off from my spot and colliding into him with a hug.

"Oof," Kakashi grunted. "Nao-chan? I have _you_ as a student?"

"Nao, do you know him?" Sasuke asked me, giving me a small frown.

"Oh, yeah, Sasuke-kun. I thought I told you about him. Guess you don't remember," I said with a small tilt of my head.

Kakashi seemed to be frowning. "So _these_ are your friends?"

Naruto grinned, still giddy from his successful prank. "Yep!"

"Hm," Kakashi said. "Well, my first impression of you two is... I hate you."

I giggled at seeing both of their expressions.

"Well then," Kakashi continued, completely unminding the two boys, "let's continue this on the roof, shall we?"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Alright, so first, let's introduce ourselves," Kakashi said.

"Why don't you go first, Sensei, that way we'll know what to do and stuff," Naruto suggested.

"Alright," Kakashi said. "I'm Hatake Kakashi. Things I like and things I hate... I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future... As for my hobbies..."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Okay. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, I like ramen in an instant cup, but Nao-chan doesn't let me have a whole bunch 'cause she tries to make me eat _healthy_. I like Nao-chan, Shika, and Chō. I like Old Man and at times, the bastard is _okay_. Iruka-sensei is pretty cool, too. I don't dislike a lot of things, but I _hate_ vegetables and, most of the time, jerk-butt over there. My hobby is helping Nao-chan with the garden and my dream is to become the Hokage, believe it!"

I smiled at him happily and Sasuke rolled his eyes. Kakashi merely watched him with a single eye. To most at first glance, it would seem indifferent or uncaring, but I had seen that eye many times when ANBU members approached Kakashi and asked for advice at the memorial stone. It was an assessing eye. Critical and precise.

Kakashi then turned to me. I frowned. "But everyone here knows me."

"Aw, come on Nao-chan, do it in the spirit of things."

"But everyone already knows me," I said again, failing to see the point in wasting our time with information they already knew.

When Kakashi continued to stare at me, I sighed in defeat. His eye crinkled in satisfaction.

"I'm Yamanaka Inonao, but I go by Nao. I like a lot of things and because Kakashi didn't say a lot and everyone already knows me, that's all I'm saying," I said stubbornly, folding my arms across my chest.

"But you already know about me," Kakashi said. "I didn't feel the need to elaborate any further."

"Exactly," I said.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke said when it was clear I wasn't going to add anything more. "I like few things, mostly training. Shikamaru is alright, so is Chōji. Nao is fine and, _sometimes,_ so is the idiot. I dislike a lot of things, mostly airhead over here. My hobbies are none of your concern. My goal is to find the truth and to take vengeance for my Clan."

I tilted my head. "Now what?"

"Now?" Kakashi asked, cocking his head. "Now it's time I explain something to you about how to _really_ graduate to becoming a Genin."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

The next morning, I forced everyone to eat their breakfast, explaining to them that Kakashi was being silly. The three of us then walked down to the training grounds and waited.

Three hours later, I nudged Naruto awake, who had fallen asleep on the ground, after Sasuke nudged me awake, as I had fallen asleep on his shoulder. We all blinked up groggily as Kakashi entered the sunny clearing.

"Good morning, my precious students," Kakashi said cheerfully.

I yawned, stretching as I stood up. "Good morning, Kakashi- _sensei_... it's weird calling you sensei."

"It's weird having you as a student."

I rubbed the sleep out of my eye. Naruto stood up and yawned tiredly. "You're late."

Sasuke snorted. "That's an understatement, moron."

Naruto shot Sasuke a dirty look, but didn't bother adding anything more.

"Well then, are you ready for your test?" Kakashi asked us, as he pulled out a sleek gray clock. He placed the clock on a wooden stump a little ways from us before pulling out two silver bells. "Your test is simple. Retrieve the bells from me. You will have until noon to do this or all of you will fail."

"But there's only two bells," Naruto asked, frowning at this.

"That's because only two of you will pass," Kakashi said.

We all exchanged a glance, none of us impressed with that statement. If there was one thing Shikamaru managed to drill into us, it was to work smarter, not harder. A concept that came relatively easy for Sasuke and myself and, with time, Naruto. To think over orders given to you, read between the lines, and find a solution that benefited yourself.

"That's not true," I said. "You can't pass only two people. Genin teams are made up of _three_ people. I should know, Papa drilled _that_ into me and Sissy. More than likely this is a test to try and have us fight each other over the bells."

"And waste what little time we have and fight each other," Sasuke added.

"That's stupid," Naruto decided.

Kakashi cocked his head. "Only two people will pass this test. Whoever passes this test for the other teams will also count. We pool everyone together and _then_ we make groups of three."

I frowned. "Oh."

The three of us exchanged looks.

"You guys should get the bell," I said. "I'll help you."

"Don't be stupid, Nao-chan," Naruto said. "If anyone is going to pass, it should be you and and the bastard. Even if he _is_ an asshole."

Sasuke snorted. "Whatever. You two can take the bells. I don't need them."

My brow furrowed. "No. _You_ two take the bells."

"No, _you_."

"Idiots. No."

"Come on, guys, just take the stupid bells!"

"Nao-chan, Bastard, quit being so stupid and take the bells."

"I don't need them. _You_ take them."

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Are you really arguing _who_ takes the bells? And not in the normal way, might I add."

Naruto huffed. "Look here, old man—"

"Old man?"

"—we're all friends here," Naruto went on, unabashed. "We stick together through and through. I'm not gonna sit still and watch as one of my friends fail and _I_ succeed. 'Ts not right."

I nodded my head, feeling particularly brave as I moved a step forward. "Me, too. I feel the same."

Sasuke snorted quietly, but moved to stand a little closer to us.

"So either we _all_ pass, or we all fail," Naruto said firmly.

Kakashi blinked at us. "Okay. How about I cut you a deal? If _one_ of you can take a _single_ bell from before the time is up, you all can pass. If you can't, you all fail."

"Deal," Sasuke decided for us.

The three of us then poured chakra into our feet and leapt back, out of earshot of Kakashi. Naruto moved to stand behind Sasuke and I as the two of us turned our back to Kakashi. Naruto watched Kakashi, as Sasuke and I spoke in hushed tones. Quiet enough for Kakashi not to hear, but loud of enough for Naruto to hear.

"Kakashi-sensei is a Jōnin, and an ex-ANBU Captain," I whispered quietly. "Getting a bell would normally be difficult. He's strong. He's fast. He's cunning."

"Normally?" Sasuke questioned, as quiet. "I take it you have a plan?"

I nodded my head. "It's a thought, really. I've never practiced it on a moving target, you know. Especially not one that would fight back. Or one so big."

"You mean _that_ jutsu?" Naruto whispered, not even glancing back at us.

"How long can you hold it?" Sasuke asked.

I hesitated. "Five seconds maximum. More likely three seconds."

"That doesn't give us a lot of time," Sasuke muttered. "We'd have to be in close already. But it's our best shot to get a bell within the short time period. Alright. Naruto, you serve as the distraction, I'll—"

"He's gone," Naruto said loudly, quickly turning around and inspecting the area.

Both Sasuke and I straightened up, turning our backs to each other and Naruto. The three of us formed a sort of tight circle, our eyes darting around.

"Did he use any handseals?" I asked Naruto.

Naruto frowned. "No. Disappeared in a puff of smoke."

"Annoying. _Tch_ ," Sasuke grumbled irritably.

Mild annoyance and dissatisfaction dwelled inside of me at the latest development, but it didn't last long. Kakashi reappeared above us, his hands working into some fast handseals. My eyes widened and I pushed Naruto out of the way, Sasuke jumping away on his own as Kakashi finished.

But nothing happened. He gave a chuckle as he landed where we once stood.

He had faked us out.

"Naruto," Sasuke growled, already rushing forward.

"On it," Naruto shouted, his hands moving into the _ram_ seal. Multiple more Narutos appeared and they all rushed towards Kakashi with a battle cry. I hopped back, a little ways from them as Kakashi ducked and dodged each of them with ease. Sasuke took a moment and dove in close towards him, throwing in his own punch to the attack.

I let out a slow breath, pushing my chakra out along with it. My chakra slithered into the air, moving slowly towards Kakashi. To any other eye—save the Byakugan and probably the Sharingan—my chakra would be transparent, invisible. My brow furrowed in concentration and I had to switch my breath to deeper ones. Already I could feel the strain of molding my chakra in such a manner.

My mind locked onto Kakashi and I had him ensnared. Immediately his body froze and Naruto delivered a successful kick against his thigh. Kakashi gave a grunt, though his eye was still widened in surprise.

Sasuke took this moment to dive forward towards the bell.

The surprise was over and Kakashi struggled against the small outline of my chakra around him. I gave an inward whimper at the sheer force he exerted against my mind. A throbbing pain overcame my head and it was too much; I released my hold on him and fell to the ground, breathing heavily.

Wearily, I looked up to find Sasuke grinning triumphantly, okay, _smirking_ triumphantly, at Kakashi. Naruto whooped with excitement as his clones dispelled and cheered loudly. Kakashi shook his head, looking over at me. In a flicker of movement, he appeared in front of me.

"Interesting technique. I assume it's a kekkai genkai?" Kakashi commented, as Sasuke and Naruto moved over to us.

I nodded my head tiredly.

When Naruto reached us, he offered me a hand. I took it with a quiet thank you and he lifted me up, though my legs were still shaky.

"So this means we pass," Sasuke said, still smirking.

"So it would seem," Kakashi mused. "I never would have guessed Nao-chan had such an ability."

"Not many do," Naruto boasted on my behalf.

"Now that we've passed," I said, my strength slowly returning, "why don't," I took another deep breath, struggling to breathe, "we all have lunch at home? Kakashi-sensei, you're," another gasp, "welcome to join us."

Kakashi cocked his head. "Mn. Maa, alright. I could eat."

Naruto grinned. "Alright! Dickwad, it's your turn to do dishes tonight."

"Hn."

I giggled at that, finding myself smiling brightly for a moment before my smile faltered. I had lucked out. I adored my team.

So why did I feel such a strong sense of sorrow, looking at how happy we were now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway, to clarify Nao is **three** **years** **younger** than Ino. So when they're twelve, she's nine. When they're sixteen, she's thirteen, etc, etc.
> 
>  **Answer:** Most awkward moment. Oooo. Chatting online with my crush, and my ex (who remained as a friend), along with a few others. Sent ilikelikeyou to ex, when it was meant for the crush. Horribly awkward explaining that one.
> 
>  **Question:** What's your viewpoint on something? Anything? tell me what you feel passionate about.
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	9. Arc II - Zabuza

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

"This is so stupid!"

For once, I had to agree with Naruto.

After a _month_ of stupid D-Rank missions, Naruto finally broke and pleaded with the Hokage to give us a better mission. The Hokage had relented, and thus we were given an escort mission for a _drunk_ to his home, and to protect him while he finished a bridge.

The mission itself wasn't so bad; it was the _moronic sexist pig_ we had to guard for it. At first glance, he sneered at all of us and commented, "Are you really going to let a bunch of _brats_ protect me? They look so stupid. Never mind the scrawny little damsel."

Damsel. Like damsel in distress. As if that ever applied to _me_. I might not have Naruto's insane chakra levels, or battle instinct like Sasuke, or intelligence like Shikamaru, but damn it—

Well. To say I was most displeased would have been an understatement. The only pleasure I took in that afternoon was the fact that both Naruto and Sasuke looked ready to kill the fool as well. Naruto actually had to be restrained by Kakashi more than once.

Afterwards, we were dismissed to pack our things and meet Kakashi and the old man at the front gate. We returned home, packed our things and were currently on our way.

"Sexist pig," I muttered under my breath, still bristling from the insult. Perhaps I was taking it so offensively because of my sister. As much as I was at loathe to point out a fault in her, she was very much a damsel in distress. Longing for a prince to save her, namely a prince by the name of Sasuke, but I didn't resent _her_ for it. She was my sister with a simply more _romantic_ mind than my own. My mental maturity was more developed and pragmatic and thus had long since moved past such silly fantasies. It was understandable that she still clung to her childhood dreams, as I would undoubtedly be doing the same if I were her.

However that did _not_ mean _I_ would tolerate such things in myself.

"Let's get this mission over with," Sasuke said. "Once we've completed our first C-Rank mission, we'll be able to do more. They can't all be this bad."

"Bastard has a point," Naruto agreed, though with a bit of reluctance in his voice. "Let's get this over with."

The three of us had reached the gate, Kakashi already there with Tazuna.

I scowled at him openly, huffing slightly.

Tazuna snorted. "Can't believe a bunch of brats are protecting me."

"Why should it matter?" Sasuke asked thinly, obsidian eyes glaring coldly.

Tazuna bristled and Kakashi opened the palm of his hands in a peace-like gesture. "Maa. Now, now. Let's get on our way then, shall we?"

"Come on, lil' sis," Naruto said, already turning away with a huff and marching on.

"Dobe, it's the other way," Sasuke muttered.

Not even faltering in his steps, Naruto turned directions and marched on.

I had to smile at that.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

We had walked quite a ways in silence, moving in perfect synch with Tazuna in the center. My resentment towards Tazuna had faded into mild irritation and eventually, into apathy. With my anger gone, I was left to muse through my thoughts, shifting through whatever I could think of to try and entertain myself.

Nearly towards our destination, a strange thing happened.

The strongest sense of déjà vu washed over me. I blinked my eyes rapidly at the strong sense of familiarity for the situation. Casually, my eyes glanced around, scanning for what could have possibly triggered such emotion.

My eyes landed on a puddle.

A single puddle.

I blinked at it, my brow furrowing. Nonchalantly, I moved towards Kakashi, reaching forward and grabbing his hand. Not even stopping, his eyes slid towards me. My eyes slid towards the puddle and he followed my gaze. He winked at me, his gaze moving towards Tazuna.

I caught on.

The best thing to do in a situation like this was to allow the trap to spring itself and deal with it. That way we could discern who the trap was set for. For a C-Rank mission, we would have only had to deal with weak bandits and worthless shinobi. A technique used to disguise the user as a puddle required at least Chūnin level, if only a bit lower. Tazuna had paid for a C-Rank and as such, it would bring into question why a Chūnin would attack him.

 _If_ they were to attack him. They very well could have been sent from an enemy village to fight against one of us. Perhaps to take out the last Uchiha, or the famed Kakashi of the Sharingan? Perhaps they were interested in the bounty Kakashi carried? The possibilities were immense.

But if they were out to get us, it would then beg the question of how they knew where we were going and...?

Ever still. The best thing to do in a situation like this would be to allow the trap to spring itself.

And spring itself it did.

The moment we had our backs turned to it, my sixth sense tingled with fear and I leapt away from Kakashi towards Tazuna. Chains, sharp and jagged, wrapped around Kakashi and, in a flash, pulled.

Kakashi was supposedly ripped into shreds.

Inwardly, I frowned at the scene. That couldn't be right. No chain would be able to rip Kakashi so cleanly. Perhaps finely pointed wire, but even then it would have to taken quite a force to rip his back bone so neatly like that. For chains to rip him, at least one of the chunk had to have the majority of his spine sticking out of it.

I chilled, realizing my line of thoughts; so eerily calm.

Perhaps I was calm because I knew Kakashi would be able to save us, worse comes to worst. More than likely, this was the case; after all they were only Chūnin and I knew full well Kakashi was an elite ex-ANBU. That and there was a, ah, _gut instinct_. I really had no other way to describe it, but the very same instinct that made me question Sasuke all those years ago resurfaced itself the moment I felt familiar with the situation. It warned me to be wary of the puddle, but also that I shouldn't be worried, either. That somehow, I _knew_ Kakashi would be alright and that _we_ would be alright.

Before I could continue my line of thoughts, however, one of them rushed towards me.

I let out a slow breath, side stepping as he swung out a clawed hand towards me. Using the force of his punch, I twisted and threw him over my shoulder onto the ground. Continuing to move forward, I bunched up my hand into a fist and slammed it into his throat.

It was a low-level Chūnin, then, I judged, from how easy it was to out maneuver him. I was by no means a taijutsu master and should have easily been outmatched against a high-level Chūnin or above.

I doubted the person was even a Chūnin. Though he looked older, he really couldn't have been more than a Genin, right? It was ridiculously easy to outmaneuver him, and I didn't think a Chūnin should be so easy to face.

I straightened up, preparing to assist my friends when I heard a splash.

I whirled back around, my eyes widening to see that it was a water clone.

Of course. Nothing was ever that easy.

Before I could move another muscle, I felt chills run down my spine. My eyes snapped back, head turning to find the supposedly _real_ Chūnin rushing towards me. Before he could lay a finger on me, Kakashi appeared before me, his arm jutting out and hitting his throat.

The Chūnin gagged and sagged, immediately passing out or dying. I wasn't sure which.

I swallowed roughly and turned back to see Naruto and Sasuke had defeated the other one.

"Nao-chan," Kakashi said pleasantly, "never let your guard down. Even if the opponent seems defeated."

I bowed my head, accepting the critique. "My mistake, sorry."

Kakashi cocked his head. "This was your first real battle; it's understandable, but ignorance has led many shinobi and kunoichi to their deaths."

I kept my head bowed for another moment, once again taking the critique before I raised it and blinked owlishly up at him.

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, well done," Kakashi amended. "But both of you were focused on the target, not on Tazuna who we were supposed to protect. What if there was a third attacker waiting for the ambush?"

"You would have got 'em," Naruto dismissed.

Kakashi tilted his head.

"Kakashi-sensei, did you see who they were targeting?" I asked him, blinking up at him curiously.

Kakashi gave me a crinkled eye smile, lifting his hand to pat my head. "That I did. Tazuna. It would seem we need to have a conversation."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A B-Ranked mission now. Lovely. First Tazuna was a sexist pig, now he was a _lying_ sexist pig. Although, strangely, all the while he was telling his story, I couldn't shake the strongest sense of déjà vu, but nothing specific came to me. It was on the tip of my tongue, at a precipice. There, so close, but not quite over the edge.

It was driving me insane.

All the while, we finished our walk, crossed the water in a boat, and walked a bit further into the island, I couldn't seem to figure it out. _What_ was my mind trying to tell me?

I was so lost in my musings, Kakashi had to roughly grab me and force me to ground, just in time for a giant sword to swing over our heads and land against a tree. I blinked, both from shock and embarrassment, that I had become so dense I didn't even hear Kakashi's warning.

Kakashi's hand left my shoulders as he stood up. I moved with him, staring up in curiosity at a strange (familiar) man standing atop an even stranger (familiar) sword.

"Hatake Kakashi," the man drawled, his voice low and gravely. "I don't believe we've met face to face. Won't this be fun?"

"Momochi Zabuza," Kakashi said, his eye narrowing. "What are you doing here?"

"I think you know the answer to that, Kakashi of the Sharingan," Zabuza taunted. "Hand over the old geezer and I might spare you and your pathetic brats."

"Who're you calling brats, you shirtless freak?" Naruto shouted, glowering darkly.

"Shut up, dumbass," Sasuke snapped.

Zabuza's eyes narrowed into annoyed slits.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Kakashi replied evenly, his hand moving up and pushing his headband up with it. His Sharingan blazed fully, staring at Zabuza. Not taking his eyes off of Zabuza, he said, "Formation B, everyone."

Immediately, the three of us rushed towards Tazuna, each placing our backs against each other with Tazuna in the center.

"You'll regret this," Zabuza laughed as an eerie mist settled in over us.

I shivered, swallowing roughly. In a matter of seconds, the mist descended upon us, Zabuza was gone from my sight. Barely, I could make out the figure of Kakashi, who stood in front of us, tense and ready; only barely.

I shivered once more, and my stomach knotted. A sharp wave of killer intent seemed to roll within the fog. Never before had I felt such hostility, such cruelty, and such _bloodlust_. No, even then that wasn't quite right. I'm not quite sure _how_ describe it. Only that it was there, and it pressed down hard on me. My hands shook and fought down the chilling fear that crawled up and down my spine. The killer intent rolled through the fog, pressing down on me, suffocating me. I tried to move, to speak, to rationalize any of my thoughts, but was incapable of doing so.

I was petrified.

My bottom lip quivered involuntarily.

"Calm down," Kakashi's sharp voice broke me out of my trance, pulling my eyes towards him. "I will protect you with my life. I will _not_ allow my comrades to die: trust me."

At his words, I felt a small sense of confidence swell in the pit of my stomach. He wouldn't. Kakashi was strong —ANBU strong— he _could_ protect us and he _would_. His surety of the situation was calming in a way. I was nowhere near relaxed, but my thoughts were lucid. Coherent.

My hands no longer quivered. I clenched them tightly into fists.

I could do this. I had to.

"I wouldn't be so sure."

Zabuza's voice, right behind us; so slick and smooth and calm. A cold shiver danced down my spine. My head snapped back and already my body was twisting away, acting on instinct alone. To step back and _away_ from the danger. But, as I moved—along with Sasuke and Naruto—so, too, did Zabuza. His sword lifted up in a single movement, intent on finishing us all off in a single fell swoop.

In almost slow motion, the sword arched towards us, and we were helpless to stop it. _I_ was helpless to stop it.

Then Kakashi was there.

Moving too quick for my eyes to have followed him, he appeared right before the blade, stopping it with his single kunai. I landed lightly a little ways from them, my mind reeling. They were at a perfect standstill—a moment of shock on their face for both opponents.

But I had to use this shock.

My hands shook slightly and I willed my chakra to push out of my body, forcing it towards Zabuza. In a split second, my chakra had outlined him and I held on tightly to him.

Zabuza's eyes widened a fraction and he struggled against my hold, now realizing he was incapacitated.

I sucked in a sharp breath, sweat dotting my brow as he fought. A sharp pain jarred through my senses, intensifying in my head. He was so strong. Such a powerhouse...

My hands shook violently as he thrashed against the hold, but still could not move. Kakashi's eyes snapped towards me before locking back to Zabuza's. He had realized what had happened. His kunai dug against the blade and pushed it away —but not out of Zabuza's iron locked grip.

His free hand grabbed Zabuza's upper arm of the same arm he held his sword in. With his kunai hand, he slid his kunai alongside of the sword before he dug it up to the hilt into Zabuza's elbow.

A howl of pain left Zabuza and he struggled more violently against me. The pain was _unbearable;_ it was burning and bright and my vision dotted and for a moment, I thought I couldn't move—couldn't _breathe_ and then—

My control slowly slipped and I gave a sort of sharp breath and small whine as it did. But Kakashi didn't stop; he dragged his kunai right up to his hand, slicing Zabuza's arm wide open. Even through the fog I could make out the dark liquid that spilled out of it.

All of that had transpired in a matter of seconds.

Shaking violently from the sheer concentration that was required of me and from the slight adrenaline rush, my knees gave out and hit the ground as I lost all of my control. Zabuza's sword slipped from his grasp, falling to the ground with a thud. In a violent rage, Zabuza swung out his other hand towards Kakashi. Kakashi leapt back and away from Zabuza, landing beside me.

I tried to calm my breath and blink away the dots in my vision.

"You _bastard_ ," Zabuza snarled at Kakashi. "Now which one of you has the kekkei genkei?"

"You don't need to worry about that," Kakashi said smoothly. "Your opponent is me."

Zabuza seemed to be giving a feral-like grin. "We'll see."

With a lone arm dangling uselessly at his side, Zabuza bent down and picked up his sword with his non useless hand. He swung it around experimentally.

"You won't be able to last long," Kakashi said, a mocking edge to his voice. "You're bleeding heavily and fighting us will only push the blood out of your system faster. I'd say you have about five minutes before you pass out. Ten minutes until you die."

Zabuza scoffed. "I won't need nearly that long to take care of a couple of brats."

"But you will need that and much more to take care of _me_ ," Kakashi said, switching his stance to a more offensive position.

Zabuza lunged forward, kicking up into the air and swinging his sword high above him. Kakashi leapt up into the air, clashing his kunai against Zabuza's sword. The two slid off and away and Kakashi and Zabuza were forced to land a little ways from each other.

Kakashi slid across the ground from the force of the attack, his eyes never leaving Zabuza.

My breath was still shallow, but easier to manage and I shakily stood up, inching closer to Sasuke, Naruto, and Tazuna.

Zabuza's eyes caught my movement and he swung the sword towards my friends.

My eyes widened upon seeing that malicious gleam in his eyes and he rushed towards us, too quickly for even Kakashi to reach us in time, given the distance. Pure fear and adrenaline coursed through me as I saw his course of direction. To the nearest one of us.

To Sasuke.

And then all I could see was that little boy ( _a little boy_ ) crying for his family and over his brother. I could only see that dear friend I had practically grown up with and accepted to as family. _My_ family.

( _My_ little boy)

My body moved almost robotically, no thoughts, but (familiar) frantic panic and fear. I slammed into Sasuke, twisting us so my back was turned to Zabuza and between the two of them. I pushed Sasuke away from him just as blinding pain raced from my right shoulder blade, dancing along my arm like white hot needles.

And suddenly, I was flying. Soaring through the air ( _free, free_ , falling again, again).

I crashed into a tree, hitting the tip of my brow and slamming against it as the air left in one fell _whoosh_.

Head spinning and ears ringing, I could make out Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi's concerned voice.

I slumped against the tree, my sight doubling as blackness edged around it.

I struggled to breathe, to suck in the air that had so cruelly left me, barely able to find it in time. My shock left me in a harsh rush and I could so clearly feel the pain in my shoulder and arm, the pounding of my head. I had to shut my eye as blood pooled around it from my more than likely bleeding brow.

I twisted my body, forcing myself to move and see what was going on. Dizzy and disoriented, I could only vaguely make out the fast blur of shapes and assumed they were Kakashi and Zabuza.

Naruto had come to me, kneeling beside me and asking rapid questions. I couldn't concentrate though. He was talking too fast.

"Slow d-down," I murmured.

Naruto gave me a sheepish smile before wincing. "Sorry. I—"

"I know," I whispered. "Wh-who's winning?"

Naruto looked back, to see as Tazuna and Sasuke headed towards us. His brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed. "I think... Kakashi."

A moment passed.

"Oh hey... Zabuza slumped against a tree. Something happened," Naruto whispered.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "There's another person there. They're taking Zabuza away."

"Fight over?" I asked tiredly.

"Fight's over," Sasuke answered me.

"G-Good," I mumbled before promptly passing out.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Upon coming to, the thing that I had been pondering before Zabuza presented himself, finally came to me. Mostly in blurred images, scattered facts and delirious battles that had not occurred. But nonetheless, it came to me.

Well. Not all of it. Simply a mere distant fact.

This had happened before, in what I was coming to realize, an alternate world. A world where I was never born in.

The thought line seemed incredibly familiar, as if I knew and understood such before, but for the life of me, I could not recall ever having such knowledge. I had only ever been in this world,right? But on the other hand, it would explain my knowledge and ability to keep a more mature outlook on things. If I had indeed not originated from this world, what happened to me in my past life?

How did I die?

A question that would require much speculation later on, at a more convenient time. For now, I had the issue of Zabuza and Ha—Haw—Hue—Hah—Ha—que—Ha—lu— Ha— _ku_. Haku to deal with. From what I could recall Naruto and the others had admiration for the two, for whatever reason and regretted their deaths. I had no reason for such regrets, but if it would further prevent damage to my close ones, I would be inclined to prevent their deaths.

From what I could gather, they were betrayed by a man named _Gato_. They were hired by him to eliminate the bridge builder when in fact Gato never bothered to pay them or intended to. That lead to Zabuza attacking and killing Gato. From such, I could safely conclude that if Zabuza and Haku knew of Gato's original intentions they would not bother attacking us.

More than likely they would simply kill Gato—which would also solve Wave's problem —and—and I'm not sure what they would do.

I would have to ponder that further.

If I could. The way I had my memories set up, I would imagine I would forget everything once again after the mission.

But one thing remained a fact; if Zabuza and Haku were informed of Gato's treachery, they would not attack us. Which, in my book, seemed like a very good thing. Even if there seemed to be some significance to their attack, it did not concern me. My only priority was the safety of my family.

Oh... and the mission.

If the mission failed, I would not be paid and I am inclined to find that most dissatisfying.

Now the question then begged is how to contact Zabuza and Haku? Furthermore, what would I say to them...?

No, really, I suppose, the first question would be what to do with the knowledge? I felt like there was more to the story, that I knew _more,_ but I could only recall things concerning Haku and Zabuza, and even then it was sketchy. No, that wasn't quite right. I recalled a memory of myself at a younger age _choosing_ to forget—to forget _something_. I remembered that I had installed triggers of sorts that would react in certain ways: subconscious triggers that Ino and I were taught to implant at a young age, due to the nature of our family's Kekkei Genkai, before the mutation was found out.

The knowledge would fade. I had, perhaps, a handful of days as it was a much less frantic and strong memory. The more painful and strong my emotions were attached to a memory, the harder it would be to remember it, or well, _keep_ it.

I stifled a yawn as I finally allowed myself to open my eyes, deciding to spend some other time to properly think through the issues. The first thing I noted was that I was no longer in a clearing. There was no mist or sky above me, but instead a wooden roof.

The second thing I noted was that someone had changed my clothes. No longer was I wearing my standard white and pale blue attire, instead I only wore my hoodie. Most people under those circumstances would more than likely feel embarrassed, but that would have been a waste. Kakashi had more than likely seen the female body before (not that I was really developed enough to be anything but androgynous) and I highly doubted he thought of nothing more than dressing my wounds and seeing that nothing was infected.

Thirdly, I realized my wounds. My right arm was slung and wrapped tightly to my chest. My shoulder felt oddly loose and I realized with a sickening feeling that it had been dislocated. Someone must have popped it back into place. I could feel the wrappings of gauze around my forehead and frowned thoughtfully as I came to realize I was only seeing through my left eye.

My right eye was covered in a patch of sorts. More than likely, when I hit my head against the tree, blood and other nasty stuff had gotten in it. Kakashi must have cleaned the eye then wrapped it in a bandage to keep further infection until it was ready to face the world once again.

I was pleased to find that I was not suffering from chakra exhaustion; only my physical state seemed a little worse for the wear.

I gave a yawn and slowly sat up with the use of my left arm, which I leaned heavily on.

Blinking tiredly, I surveyed my surroundings. I was in a small room, more than likely in Tazuna's house. Kakashi or one of the others must have carried me there.

Speaking of the others...

Naruto, I had noticed, was asleep at my feet, snoring quietly with a bit of drool hanging down from his mouth. Sasuke had taken up to leaning against the wall to my left, his eyes closed and his breathing deep and even.

I felt a small smile turn my lips up.

Carefully, I maneuvered my feet away from Naruto and shakily stood up, wincing at the blood rush and the harsh pounding in my head. I blinked rapidly to clear away the dizziness and wobbled for a bit as I waited for the pain to subside. When it did, I lightly stepped around Naruto and Sasuke and peeked down the hallway.

Light barely shone through the window, foggy and unclear, but sharp and bright. Dawn, then. Sunset would have been warmer, duller. I supposed I must have slept through the rest of the day and night. Not too bad considering the head trauma, mental strain due to my mutation, and adrenaline rush.

I quietly stepped down the hallway, noticing Kakashi was already seated at a small table. His eye crinkled upon seeing me. "Glad to see you're awake."

"Glad to be awake," I told him honestly. "How long was I out?"

"Not long," Kakashi said. "The rest of the day and night."

I nodded my head, satisfied my guess had been accurate.

I moved and sat down next to him, yawning once more as the last of my grogginess slowly left me. "I take it no one was hurt?"

"No," Kakashi said. "Zabuza was suffering from major blood loss. Had the battle gone on any longer, he would have died. Shame he wasn't foolhardy enough to try; would have made my life a lot easier."

"I don't know," I mused. "Things have a way of working themselves out."

"Perhaps," Kakashi allowed, cocking his head. "It would seem the boys are up."

"Kakashi-sensei, she's gone! Nao-chan is—" Naruto stopped in his frantic yelling when he saw me sitting down. His face lit up and he grinned widely. "Hi."

"Hi," I said, amused.

Sasuke came into the room, yawning tiredly and rubbing his eyes. "'Bout time you woke up."

"Sorry," I responded, not really meaning it.

Sasuke snorted as he moved to sit down across from us. "You should have been up, though. There was this really angsty brat."

"Kind of like you, dickwad," Naruto said slyly, sitting down next to Sasuke.

"Don't be ridiculous," Sasuke snorted dismissively. "He's willing to lie down and let this Gato person walk all over him. I'm not submissive."

"Kinky," Naruto said.

I cocked my head in a confused manner and Sasuke shot Naruto a withering glare. Kakashi placed both of his hands over my ears, only doubling my confusion. Naruto laughed, amused he had gotten a reaction out of his rival/best friend _and_ his teacher. Kakashi cleared his throat and I looked down at my hands, already finding them so much more fascinating than looking up at their faces, as I had the feeling that whatever was implied was _not_ appropriate.

"We've also already discussed that Zabuza is alive," Kakashi said. "This week we'll be preparing for him. Seeing how everyone is up and about, come and follow me and we can start on your training."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"You want us to climb a tree?" Naruto asked, clearly skeptical of the training method.

"Not all of you," Kakashi said. "Only you and Sasuke. I have no doubt that Nao-chan has already gone through this training with her clan, am I correct?"

I nodded my head slowly. "For my kekkei genkai, perfect control is needed. I already know how to water walk, too, but I can't sustain it too long, and I can't even begin to try and do that as well as fight."

Kakashi nodded his head. "For this exercise, you two will be climbing a tree—with no hands."

"How do you expect us to do that?" Sasuke asked bluntly.

"Simple," Kakashi hummed, " gather your chakra to your feet and walk up the tree."

"Oh, like that leaf exercise?" Naruto asked. "Where you have to use your chakra to make the leaf stick to you or something?"

"Close enough," Kakashi said.

"I sucked at that," Naruto grumbled.

"You sucked at everything," Sasuke pointed out.

"Nobody asked you."

"So," Kakashi said, unperturbed. "We need to do this exercise because—"

"Perfect chakra control is the basic necessity to every jutsu," Sasuke said with a roll of his eyes. "With it, in theory, any jutsu can be mastered. This exercise further pushes us to master the control as well as to push our chakra reserves to the limit."

"Well you seemed well informed," Kakashi sniffed.

Sasuke snorted and Naruto grinned.

"Even _I_ knew that," Naruto said. " Just 'cause I sucked at it doesn't mean I don't know anything about it. I have a _lot_ of chakra."

"Inhumanly so," Sasuke said. "I have a theory that Naruto was secretly replaced with some sort of chakra monster at birth."

Naruto stuck his tongue out, though he did stiffen slightly. After a heartbeat, he relaxed and gave an easy grin. "I have my own theory that Sasuke was replaced with some sort of emo-freak-crazy-girl-magnet."

"I am _not_ a crazy girl magnet," Sasuke said indignantly.

Naruto gave Sasuke an incredulous look. "Really? So _none_ of your fan girls tried to drug you and—"

Kakashi cleared his throat while my cheeks flamed brightly in indignation on my sister's behalf. She was _not_ crazy. She was _special_. And a romantic with a, ah, flair for dramatics, that's all. Sasuke flushed, but did not bother denying Naruto's suggestion.

"Well," Kakashi said cheerily. "Since you two know what you're doing, Nao-chan and I will supervise, seeing how she can't practice her water walking with her arm in a sling. Unless she can swim with one arm. Can you?"

I frowned at his question. "No. Should I be able to?"

"I don't know," Kakashi said. "I can."

"So can I," Sasuke said.

"That's because you two are, like, prodigies," Naruto muttered.

"So is Nao-chan," Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto sniffed. "But she's a _normal_ prodigy. You two are like _weird_ prodigies."

Sasuke and Kakashi blinked at that, unsure of how to respond.

I coughed. "So, Kakashi-sensei, do you want me to watch from the top of the tree or down here?"

"You can join me at the top," Kakashi said happily. "That's where all the cool people are at."

"What are you talking about? _I'm_ not there," Naruto said.

"That's because you aren't cool," Sasuke snorted. "But what _are_ you talking about, _I'm_ not up there; therefore it's clearly not cool."

Kakashi shook his head and I gave a sort of amused smile.

"Both of you are wrong," I told them. "It's cool because _Kakashi-sensei_ and _I_ are up there. It would be lame if either of you two joined us."

"What are you talking?" Naruto asked. "It would be a million times cooler with me up there."

"Don't be idiotic," Sasuke said before he paused. "Too late."

Naruto ignored him. "That's it. I'm getting up there if only to prove how much more cooler it would be if I was up there."

"As if," Sasuke dismissed. "I'll be reaching the top first to prove how much cooler it would be if it were _me_ up there."

"Oh you're so on, bastard!"

"It's already on, moron."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Answer:** What do I feel strongly about? My OTP(s). ;)
> 
>  **Question:** What food item best describes you?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	10. Arc II - Haku

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

It took another two days before I ran into Haku. Naruto, it seemed, had passed out from exhaustion (despite his _abnormal_ stamina) and awoken to Haku. The two had a conversation of which I only entered the scene at the end of. After insisting Naruto headed back without me, I found myself standing before a politely smiling Haku.

"So," I said, deciding to go straight to the point. "How's Zabuza?"

Haku froze, though his smile did not slip. "I don't know what you mean."

"You do, but you won't admit it," I answered. "That's okay. I wouldn't either. Let's say I'm a mutual ally for you two. I know Gato hired you, but what you don't know is that he has no intentions of offering you payment. He's hoping we'll kill you and you'll kill us. You might want to pass that information along to your master or whatever."

Haku eyed me a moment, his smiling never wavering. "I assure you; I don't know what you're talking about."

"You do," I said again, "but that's beside the point. Look, if you don't believe me, ask Gato to pay you half up front then the rest later. If he refuses, then you know I was right. Pass it on, or whatever."

Haku inclined his head and I left, not really caring for an answer that I knew he wouldn't give.

Besides, I had bigger things to worry about now.

My memory, and now my eye.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**(Third Person POV)**

Haku was a little more than concerned at how the little girl had managed to discover his identity so quickly. More than that, he was a little more than worried at how she obtained the information. If her information was correct, then it would prove most fruitful for him and Zabuza. If it was wrong... well, it didn't really make much of a difference. They would pursue the Leaf shinobi—and kunoichi—to reach their target as originally planned. And what did it matter _how_ she obtained the information? Well, actually, it mattered quite a bit because that would imply there was a leak or that Haku had somehow messed up and if that was the case.

But if she was _right_...

Haku had only now finished informing Zabuza of the situation. Zabuza sat up in his bed, his eyes narrowed as he calculated through each risk and possibility. At first glance, many would tell you Zabuza was a mindless, savage, and blood lusting buffoon, but that was not the case. Zabuza could, and very much did, calculate multiple angles and see all the different outcomes.

He wasn't able to do it as easily when the grip of blood lust took him in the heat of battle; but, that had never been a problem for him, so Haku could easily dismiss it.

A full minute passed by until Gato and his two useless thugs entered the room. Gato entered with confidence in his stride, grinning a slimy grin while his beady eyes darted across the room to where Zabuza and Haku were.

"I heard you let the Leaf brats go," Gato said. "Shame on you."

Zabuza cocked his head, seeming to debate for a moment before responding. He didn't very much like the thought of being played. He especially didn't like the thought of being played by someone as pathetic as Gato. "Perhaps. I was not paid to fight other shinobi. I was paid to kill a defenseless bridge builder. Speaking of payment, though, where is mine?"

Gato scowled. "I told you. You get it when you kill Tazuna."

"That's it, though," Zabuza said, his eyes sharp as he focused in on Gato. "I'm beginning to doubt that you're going to pay me at all."

For a flash, Gato's façade broke and his face twisted into pure fury. "Who the hell told you that?"

Zabuza paused for a moment. "Apparently you did. Instead of denying the information, you quickly wanted to find the source to snuff out any other possibility of treachery."

Zabuza shifted from his bed, standing up with some difficulty and eying Gato. A look of malicious glee entered the missing-nin's eyes. Gato took a small step back, his mouth hanging open. "Even now you don't deny it. You know, Gato, there is a reason why my people _feared_ me."

"You _clearly_ don't know who you're dealing with," Gato snapped. "Any second and I could have an _army_ of men in here to rip you to shreds. You're a has-been now. Unable to even take on a couple brats. And look at you now! Barely able to stand. You're in _no_ shape to be threatening _me_."

Haku moved, standing up from his chair and tensing himself for battle should he be needed.

"And I _really_ don't like be lied to. _Especially_ by those far weaker than me."

"Shall I?" Haku asked, his voice a murmur.

"No," Zabuza said. "Leave that to me."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**(First POV – Nao)**

Imagine our surprise when in the middle of training, Zabuza and his accomplice appeared before us. Immediately, Kakashi tensed, pushing me behind him and placing himself between the potential threats and his students, but I kept relaxed. I felt no killer intent coming from either of them.

"Change of plans," Zabuza said. "We don't want the bridge builder anymore."

Kakashi's eye narrowed.

"It seems Gato proved to be," a pause, "misleading," Zabuza explained gruffly. "So I killed him. Now you don't need to worry about me killing the old geezer. He's not worth it."

"Then what are you going to do now?" I asked quietly, my shyness taking hold of me, forcing me to keep my body behind Kakashi, but peek my head out.

Zabuza eyed me for a moment. "that place is nice. Especially if the economy is going to improve. Besides, now that I've stolen all of that useless man's money, I'm pretty wealthy. Might as well settle down for a while. Easier than being constantly on the run at least..."

Kakashi did not relax, but he shifted stances to a more nonchalant one. "Well, that's good to hear."

Zabuza snorted. "Whatever. I'm washing my hands off you brats. Let's go."

"Why are you telling _us_ that?" Sasuke asked incredulously.

The accomplice moved to stand beside Zabuza, his mask discarded and Naruto stared at him, his brow furrowed and his expression thoughtful. "We do not want you to pursue us. And we understand the Village Hidden in the Leaves isn't quite as aggressive. We want to be able to settle down here, but because you are already aware of our presence—"

"I understand," Kakashi said swiftly. "I will inform my Hokage of that development, but so long as you don't intend harm on the Leaf, I see no reason why we would instigate anything with you, or inform Kirigakure."

_That reason, and we definitely aren't allies with Kirigakure. If anything, they hate us almost as much as Iwagakure._

Zabuza snorted again and then he and the other, ah, person were gone.

Naruto blinked. "So does that mean we've completed the mission?"

"Does that mean we can go home now?" Sasuke asked.

"We stay until the bridge is done," Kakashi said. "Then we can go home."

"Guess we lucked out," Naruto said. "It'd suck to have to—hey wait a minute! That guy from before was with Zabuza! What the hell?"

I snorted in amusement.

I paused.

Why were those two from before familiar to me?

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Kakashi gave a short sigh and I pulled back my head, chewing my lip thoughtfully as I peered up at Kakashi.

"It's infected," Kakashi finally said.

I lowered my gaze. The eye that had blood and other stuff seeped into it from before was cleaned out by Kakashi and kept wrapped in bandages. However, Kakashi was by no means a medical-shinobi and I was unconscious for the majority of the cleaning. Even after waking up and having it cleaned again seemed to have proved relatively useless.

Whenever I unwrapped the bandages to try it out, any bright light around me would send a blinding pain through my eye and I had a horrible foreign-body sensation.

"That's the best diagnosis," Kakashi finished quietly.

I let out a slow breath, trying to squash down the rising sense of grief.

"When we get back to the Leaf, we'll have it looked at properly."

I only nodded.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"What's wrong, Nao-chan?" Naruto asked our last night in Wave (we would be leaving in the morning). The two of us were outside in the back. I had gone out to seek some peace and relative alone-time when Naruto had followed me out shortly after I had left. I was seated on the grass, my back to the house, and Naruto came out and sat beside me.

I shrugged mutely, staring sullenly down at the ground.

"Is it your eye?" Naruto guessed hesitantly.

I glanced up at him, frowning. "It's not looking good."

"What's wrong?"

Both of us looked up to find Sasuke heading towards us, his eyebrow raised.

"Nao's eye isn't looking good."

"So?" Sasuke retorted.

I frowned more deeply, feeling a little hurt by his dismissal at my injury.

"What the hell do you mean _so_?" Naruto snapped, his face twisting with unhidden anger.

"She's not the only one to lose an eye. Yeah, it sucks, but look at Kakashi," Sasuke pointed out, nonplussed from Naruto's rage.

My only visible eye widened and Naruto faltered in his anger.

"He's one of the best shinobi we have and he hardly uses his eye," Sasuke said. "Not to mention there are still plenty of other shinobi and kunoichi who get by with half their vision, or no vision at all."

"You're right," I murmured softly, staring up at Sasuke in surprise. "I-I had not thought of that. I suppose I was still—"

"It's understandable to be upset," Sasuke said shortly, "but I won't tolerate either of my teammates actually allowing an injury like that to throw them off. So stop sulking."

Naruto glared. "How would _you_ like it if you lost one of your eyes?"

"It would be different," Sasuke said.

"How so?"

"Our clans value different things," Sasuke explained, gesturing between us. "It would be one thing if she lost her mind, or her sensor ability, as those are two things the Yamanaka clan pride themselves in; while the Uchiha clan pride themselves in our eyes."

"That's true," I remarked. "I would rather lose my sight entirely than my chakra sensing ability, or my mind. I would rather lose my sight and my _legs_ than either of those. I would imagine Sasuke would rather lose his arms, and legs, and mind, than either of his eyes."

Sasuke nodded. "Exactly, so stop moping."

With that, Sasuke turned away and headed back inside. Naruto snorted behind him. "Asshole. He didn't help at all."

"No," I disagreed quietly. "He did. In his own way, as you did by your gesture to come out and make sure I was alright. Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto gave me a sheepish smile.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"I'm right here," Papa said as he and Kakashi guided me through the hospital rooms. Not even two hours after returning to the Leaf I was scheduled for an appointment. Kakashi had personally seen me home, and explained the mission to Papa. Mommy was out at the time, shopping. Papa was _furious_ at the bridge builder. The coffee cup he was holding had actually shattered in his hands when Kakashi gave a brief report of what had happened. Kakashi had actually neglected to mention that Zabuza and the, um, _other person_ , were still there in Wave, and I could understand why. Papa, in that state, may had done something irrational.

And for one reason or another, I felt the need to protect Zabuza and his, ah, apprentice? So I didn't fill Papa in either. Kakashi then had to give his report to the Hokage, so he left me with Papa. Papa had taken off my bandages and looked at my eye himself, frowning all the way. He sent a cousin of mine, Shi, to fetch Mommy from the market. She came back roughly thirty minutes after I came home, and held me tightly, kissing the top of my head.

I felt a little small in their attention, and unsure of how to respond to it all even though I understood their reasoning. I was, after all, their youngest daughter and already my _first_ mission outside the village—one that should have been relaxed and easy—had more than likely cost me my eye. Even if our clan didn't value the eyes as much as the Uchiha, or Hyūga, it was still _my eye_.

I didn't want it gone. I _really_ didn't want it gone.

Ino and the others(Shikamaru and Chōji) had left for their own first mission outside the village, so I would get no support from them.

When Kakashi had returned, he and Papa then took me the hospital, Mommy saying she would call over the others (Shikaku, Chōza and their wives, and at my request, Naruto, Sasuke, and Tenten) and we would have dinner.

I was glad Kakashi had come. I took much comfort in his presence, and it was a nice reminder that even if I _did_ lose my eye I could still be helpful.

The room I entered was small and seemed cramped. The doctor that came in shortly after was a thin woman with wispy black hair pulled up in a bun. She smiled politely at me and I undid my bandages. Kakashi leaned near the door while Papa stood beside me, a gentle hand placed on my back. She gave a _tsking_ sound when she saw my eye. She pulled out a fairly small device— _Ophthalmoscope_ —(Tenten wanted to be a medical kunoichi, though her chakra control was horrendous for it, but she still studied up on what she could) and leaned towards me.

For a long while, she didn't say anything.

She leaned back, her smile gone as she frowned thoughtfully. "How exactly have you been feeling since.?"

"I—" I struggled to find the words to speak. Some part of me didn't want to describe everything. Wanted for her to say my eye would be _okay_ and it only needed some rest. It was so immature of me that I felt ashamed of myself for it. Nevertheless, it took me some time to find the strength and courage to describe everything to her. "I have been experiencing foreign-body sensations, and whenever I wake up out of nowhere, I experience severe pain in my eye. The times I have unwrapped it and attempted to use it, my sight has been blurred, and I've noticed it's been very sensitive to the light."

She nodded, scribbling a few things down on her clipboard. "I'm sorry to say, but it appears you have corneal erosion."

"What?" It escaped my mouth before I could really process what she had said.

"What exactly does that mean for her?" Papa inquired while Kakashi closed his only visible eye.

"The pains will continue," She said gently, being sure to maintain eye contact with me. "And you'll still be sensitive to light in that eye. I can't promise your vision will improve, more often than not it will worsen. That's the worst-case scenario, though. It's manageable, but not curable. You'll have to use eye drops, a couple dots every four hours while you're awake should help. There are also special contacts to use that we can also fit so you can see better."

She gave me a small smile. "But, as I said before, it's not curable. The eye drops and contacts will only go so far. Your outermost layer of epithelial cells are failing to attach to the underlying basement membrane."

"But it's manageable." I grasped onto that one word, holding tightly to it.

"Yes."

I let out a small breath. Papa nodded and kissed the top of my head. "Alright. Where can we get the drops and contacts?"

"Ah. While we _can_ fit her for contacts to see. I'm afraid I must finish my input on them," She said.

We fell into silence, waiting for her to elaborate.

"The contacts will not help with the light sensitivity, and a constant exposure and usage of her eye may result in. less than desirable consequences. I find that it would be best if she either kept it wrapped out for a while longer, or she decided to invest in something akin to glasses to block out the harsher rays of light in that eye."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A couple days after my appointment, I had stayed late with Papa training. The sun was now setting and the sky had turned to a very lovely shade of orangish-pink. I had decided to return back to Sasuke and Naruto to prepare for dinner. Ino and her team were currently out of the village for the moment, so Shikamaru and Chōji were unable to join us. The two had been beyond busy bodies since the Wave. Mostly Sasuke though. He trained like there was no tomorrow.

My eye, currently, was kept under wraps. I was hesitant in using darkening glasses as that would, more than likely, hinder my vision and performance as a whole in the long run as I would be too reliant on them. For the moment, I was trying out using my one eye.

Even if it was painful. My depth perception was horrendous and I couldn't tell you how many bumps and bruises I had managed to collect over the course of the days. However, Kakashi proved to be most helpful in that regard.

He understood all too well what I was going through. Even if he had the Sharingan in his eye, he couldn't use it for the longest time. Not only because it took too much chakra, seeing out of it was _wrong_ for him. Not morally, that his body couldn't accept the vision it transferred him. He had to go one-eyed for the longest time.

Entering the compound, I maneuvered through the halls, heading towards what I felt to be a very weak chakra signature of Sasuke.

Curious and a little worried, I sped up my pace.

My heart momentarily stopped.

Sasuke laid face down in a ruined training ground. Scratches and bruises marred his body, as well as his arm, which seemed to jut out at an odd angle. From what I could see of the skid marks and the patterns of damage, he seemed to have fallen wrong. But what had me really concerned was his breathing.

Or lack of it.

Heart in my throat, I sprinted to him, quickly placing a hand on his throat and feeling for his heartbeat. Barely. But there.

My head snapped up and I flared my chakra signature, frantically.

But of course that wouldn't work. No one came into the Uchiha district besides us.

So I did the next best thing.

I ran.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I found him where I usually found him. Standing at the memorial stone.

"Kakashi!" I shouted, crashing into him and grabbing his arm. Startled, he pulled himself from his thoughts to take in my panicked face.

"What's wrong?" He demanded.

"Sasuke—he's not—it's not— _help_ ," I said, my mind reeling.

"Take me to him," Kakashi said.

I did as he asked.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ten frantic minutes, an even more frantic nurse and a couple of IVs, and I finally sat at Sasuke's hospital bed, the stubborn Uchiha finally deciding to regain consciousness. Kakashi had left to find Naruto at my request, leaving it the two of us.

"What were you thinking?" I asked quietly, my brow furrowed.

Sasuke stared at me a moment before looking down at his hands. "I was useless."

My eyes widened at that.

"Against Zabuza," Sasuke said. "I was useless."

I frowned. "He was a—"

"I know his rank," Sasuke interrupted. "But it didn't matter. Itachi would be stronger than him and if I couldn't even face _Zabuza_ without shaking like a scared little boy, what hope do I have against Itachi? I hadn't even activated my Sharingan... it just..."

"I see," I whispered. "You didn't like feeling helpless."

Sasuke nodded his head slowly. "So I trained."

"And nearly killed yourself," I pointed out dryly.

"But it was worth it," Sasuke said, a slow smile stretching over his face.

"I don't see how."

"Simple: because of that."

And as Sasuke looked back at me, I noticed his eyes were no longer the usual obsidian black.

Instead they were the bright red of the Sharingan.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Troublesome. We rarely have time for ourselves anymore since graduating the academy. I knew I should have failed," Shikamaru bemoaned as he stretched out onto the grassy hill. I was sprawled out next to him, feeling lazy myself, and I watched as Naruto and Sasuke erupted into yet another fist fight and Chōji attempt to diffuse the situation.

"Have you ever had a _really_ strong sense of deja vu?" I asked him, turning my head.

"Doesn't everyone?" Shikamaru returned shrewdly.

"Well. Back on the mission at Wave. I-I have _spots_ in my memories."

Shikamaru frowned, his gaze sharpening. "What kind of spots?"

"Just, ah, spots. Suppression spots."

"Why would you consciously erase part of your own memory? Are you sure it wasn't _repression_?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "I've read enough books and heard enough from Papa that I can recognize the difference from suppressing a memory to repressing it. I consciously forgot part of my memory on that mission, and the only thing I can recall for my reason being that was feeling the strongest sense of deja vu."

" That's weird. Can you bring up the memories?"

"I _can_ ," I said quietly. "But I get that horrible feeling that I shouldn't."

"Then don't," Shikamaru said patiently. "If it's something that needs to be dealt with, then it'll be dealt with. If not, then you'll end up making a big deal of nothing. I'd relax and forget about it."

"That's what I'm afraid of doing," I whispered.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Tenten's arms wrapped around my neck from behind and she rested her chin atop my head. "Hey girlie, how have you been?"

"Busy," I responded, blushing slightly from Tenten's affectionate hug from behind. "How about you? Do you intend to introduce me to your team yet?"

"No," Tenten denied immediately, releasing her hold on me and sliding into the same booth I sat in at the tea shop. "As much as I have come to like my team, they're a bit too, um, eccentric for you."

I blinked owlishly at her. "Surely not that bad?"

"Yes. That bad. Anyway, you up for more taijutsu training? We haven't really had a chance since you joined your Genin team and Gai-sensei taught me a few interesting moves that I wanna teach you," Tenten offered, smiling at me.

My eyes widened and I smiled shyly back. "Thank you, Senpai."

"Which reminds me, have you settled on your specialty?"

I hesitated. Normally after graduating, a Genin would choose which area they specialized in: taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, medical-ninjutsu, tracking, etc. My personality contradicted the normally demanding and blunt style of taijutsu, but I had no genjutsu or ninjutsu in my arsenal to learn from. I didn't have a strong desire to learn genjutsu either as my sister was already trekking down that path and I didn't want to mimic her. Long-ranged ninjutsu seemed to best fit my personality, but I had felt too hesitant to approach Kakashi about training. Papa was too busy, and Momma was a genjutsu kunoichi, not a ninjutsu one.

"Not yet," I confessed. "I want—I _think_ I want ninjutsu, but I'm rather good at taijutsu. I don't feel _comfortable_ with it, though."

"Don't worry," Tenten soothed. "We'll find something you're good at. You're pretty decent at the katana and sword as well as senbon and scythes."

"I suppose," I responded dubiously. "I admit that I'm better at taijutsu than I am in ninjutsu for the moment, but—"

Tenten ruffled my hair. "Seriously, don't worry about it. You're only _nine._ You have _plenty_ of time to choose a specialty. Why not work with your strengths now and see where it takes you? You can always change paths if it doesn't fit you."

"I will definitely consider it," I agreed tentatively.

"Now enough with that talk," Tenten said. "It's time to get your accuracy back up to speed!"

Her eyes lingered a moment or two longer on my concealed eye and I felt more hesitant.

Ino—Ino had been piss-pot _furious_ at what had happened. She very nearly went down to Wave herself to _talk_ with Zabuza. Papa had to actually physically restrain her, but then she made the very sharp comment about how _he_ was taking that so well, so Shikamaru and Shikaku had to actually use the Shadow Possession on Papa. It was a very eventful night.

She had also slept with me that night, insisting it was more for my benefit than her own, but I could see through her. She saw how that mission escalated and she realized, very somberly, that it could have been more than my eye that was lost. I didn't complain, however. I took comfort in her presence. She had also rearranged my hair style, moving it about so my hair would conceal the bandage I had over my eye. I still wore my hair as such, content with hiding my injury.

"Yeah," I finally said. "Let's get to work, and thank you, Tenten-senpai!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Answer:** Hot chocolate.
> 
>  **Question:** Have you ever had a game-crush? Like a crush on someone from a game? NPC or otherwise.? If so, what was your first one or what is your current one? If you don't game or never had one. Crush on a character in general (from books / movies / etc)?
> 
> Reviews are **love**.


	11. Arc III - Kazekage-sama

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Weeks afterwards Sasuke and I were stuck looking for Naruto. Our dear friend had left us the moment we finished our missions in hopes of meeting his little friend, Konohamaru. He left before he could grab his mission pay and thus, Sasuke and I took off after him.

Though he was gone before we had a chance to see him.

A little exasperated, Sasuke marched us right through the crowds of people, entering a small alleyway.

"Where the _hell_ could he be?" Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"We could give it to him when he comes home," I suggested.

"No," Sasuke snapped. "I've already wasted enough of my time looking for him. I'm going to find him and then I am going to _beat_ some sense into him. He knows better than to ditch us so soon—and to do so before we're even officially dismissed is unacceptable."

I shrugged, knowing better than to argue with Sasuke when he'd become worked up. The only one who dared to do _that_ was Naruto; and while I adored my friend, I had to admit he wasn't the _brightest_ person I knew. With another growl of annoyance, Sasuke kicked off and headed into the trees, deciding it would be better to search for Naruto at a higher vantage point.

I didn't mind if we did or did not find Naruto; we would inevitably meet up with him again before the day ended. What difference did it make if it was at home or not?

Minutes passed by and eventually I did find Naruto scowling furiously at a strange boy. The boy was wearing an all-black attire with a hood pulled up and strange purple markings on his face. His stance was defensive, but he seemed to be trying to make it look offensive. He was holding Konohamaru up by his front shirt, the younger boy struggling to get free.

The girl next to the boy looked a cross between concerned and pretend-apathy. Her entire body read like she didn't mind the situation, but her brow was slightly furrowed in worry. Briefly, I wondered what (who) she was worried for.

"Naru-kun," I said, drawing the attention to myself. Feeling slightly shy, I hurried over to stand partially behind Naruto and look at the two newcomers. "Who are they?"

"I'm Temari," the girl answered, offering me a small smile that looked like it wanted to be a smirk.

The boy glanced over at me, sneering.

"I didn't realize we had petty petulant persecutors among the Leaf," I murmured at his sneer. His sneer dropped, face twisting up as he tried to make out my words.

"He is kind of a brat," Naruto agreed. "Last time, let Konohamaru go."

"Or else what?" the petulant boy taunted.

I pursed my lips and cocked my head. _I suppose I should do something before Naruto acts recklessly_. From what the Elders and Papa had informed me, I was to use the technique as often as I could. From experience, they had learned that the more I stretched and used the technique, the easier it would become. However it would _always_ place some sort of strain on me, but that strain _could_ be significantly lessened with repetitive use. Sending out a small wave of chakra, I wrapped it around the boy's hand and forced him to release his grip.

Surprised, he bent to my will easily.

"Thank you," I said sweetly, ignoring the mild throbbing in my head.

"Thanks, Missy!" the Konohamaru chirped, smiling at me.

I ducked my head in embarrassment.

"How did you do that?" the boy demanded.

I only smiled sheepishly. The boy glowered and took a menacing step forward, forcing Naruto to tense up. Before anything else could happen a rock soared by quickly and hit the boy on the forehead. It fell to the ground, imprinting a bright red spot on his forehead.

The boy winced, rubbing his forehead, his eyes darting around quickly before locking onto the thrower. Naruto, Temari and I all looked up to find Sasuke sitting on a tree branch, scowling.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun," I greeted, Naruto greeted Sasuke with a simple grin instead.

"What are two Suna shinobi doing in the Leaf?" Sasuke asked, his eyes narrowed.

"We're here for the Chūnin Exams," Temari said. "I'm Temari and this is my brother, Kankurō."

The boy sniffed in reply.

"Chūnin Exams," Naruto echoed softly. "I forgot all about them. D'ya think Kakashi-sensei signed us up?"

"I don't see why not," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes slightly.

Kankurō sneered. "You three are way too young for something as dangerous as—"

"Kankurō. Enough."

Shivers crawled up and down my spine at the voice; it was almost a hiss, but not quite. It was like the sound of sand grating and eroding away at a harder surface than it. My eyes moved away from the two stiffening Suna shinobi, towards the voice. A boy, tense yet relaxed with shocking bright red hair stood on the branch behind Sasuke. Judging from Sasuke's shocked and wide eyed appearance, I would assume Sasuke did not detect him either.

While the others stared at him in either fear or shock, I found myself staring at him in confusion. He was particularly familiar, and every time I blinked while staring at him I could have sworn I saw another version of him, and I felt the strongest and deepest respect for him. The kind of respect I held for the Hokage. As the boy dissolved away into sand, the urge grew stronger. He reappeared on the ground, standing before me—us, standing before _us_ —and staring at us impassively.

Two visions kept flickering before my eyes; one of the boy in front of me and the other of a young man with his head bowed as tears escaped him as he asked the crowd before him to lend him their strength.

Unable to resist, I bowed lowly and whispered, "Kazekage-sama."

I froze.

Beside me, I could feel Naruto shift in confusion and the Suna shinobi stiffen in shock.

"What?" the boy asked, a tense feeling underlining the word.

I flushed, feeling my stomach churn and as I straightened I couldn't quite bring myself to look him in the eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I must have—are you r-related to—?"

The Suna shinobi relaxed.

"Yes, we're his children," Temari answered, "but that doesn't mean we should be addressed in the same manner."

"I-I understand. I-I'm sorry," I whispered, my fingers curling around the edges of my sleeve.

This instinct; the absolute respect I held for the boy was not receding. It was _still_ there. It _demanded_ I bowed in respect to him and that I stood right by his side, supporting him in whatever way I could. Why would I feel in such a way? I didn't even know the boy's _name_ —

_(Gaara)_

Gaara.

No. That couldn't be his name. I had never even heard of it ( _but it's so familiar?_ ), so naturally it was impossible for me to know it.

"M-May I ask your name?" I asked softly, squirming and trying desperately to meet his eyes, but failing every time and turning redder because of it.

"Gaara," Gaara said flatly.

My breath caught in my throat and I stiffened.

No.

Coincidence.

 _Coincidence_.

"I-I am Yamanaka Nao, and this is Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. We-we hope you find everything pleasant in the Leaf. G-Good day, Gaara-sama," I whispered, not catching the honorific I had unintentionally added to Gaara. Somehow, it seemed to fit him so perfectly.

_Who was this person?_

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

We were indeed entered into the Chūnin Exams, and it would appear we had only a day before the exam began. We spent that day goofing off. Naruto and I even roped Sasuke into joining us for a bit. Kakashi was reluctant at first, but caved in when Naruto threatened to burn his books (and actually held a lit match under them to show he really meant business).

Currently the three of us wandered into the Chūnin Exam building, I held both of my brothers' hands and felt content with myself. I didn't quite remember when I had reached out to grab them on our walk here, but it didn't matter because they didn't seem to particularly mind. Well, Naruto certainly didn't mind and Sasuke didn't really show anything more than mild reluctance, but not enough to actively pull away. I had come to notice when I was with them I was no longer quite as shy as I would be on my own. And when I had their support, I was definitely not shy.

That pleased me.

After heading up a single flight of stairs, we were forced to maneuver through a tight crowd.

The crowd surrounded a scene. A brightly green clad boy laid on the floor, wincing. Tenten— _I didn't know she would be in the exams as well_ —knelt beside him. Two large boys stood in front of a door.

But the door was odd. Chakra radiated from it and after a moment of thought, I identified it as a genjutsu.

I squeezed both of their hands. Sasuke squeezed back immediately in confirmation, but it took Naruto a moment to squeeze back in reply.

I dropped their hands as Sasuke stepped forward. "Let us through."

One of the boys—who was also radiating chakra—sneered. "You want in this room, you have to go through us."

"We don't want to go into the _room_ ," Sasuke sneered right back. "We want to go up the flight of stairs. It's obvious you have a genjutsu placed over the numbers."

"So you've seen through our illusion, clever," amended the other one.

"Not clever," Naruto snorted. "We actually know how to count."

"Fine," the first one said, stepping back and smirking.

Sasuke moved through and up the stairs, the crowd behind us murmuring. Naruto grabbed my arm and pulled me along. Though a hand grabbed my other arm, stopping me.

Curiously, I looked back to find the green boy looking up at me with wide eyes. "Please, if I may. Your beauty exceeds that of spring, such vibrant eyes! I beg of you, what is your name?"

My face flushed and Naruto glared at him in annoyance. I saw Tenten give me the most smug look imaginable, mouthing: _Told you, you wouldn't want to meet 'em._

"I—I um, I um..." I swallowed roughly. "N-Nao..."

"Nao-san!" the boy declared passionately. "Please, be my girlfriend. I will protect you with my life."

"I'mtooyoungtodate!" I squeaked out, jumping back and away from the strange boy before sprinting past Sasuke and Naruto, ignoring Tenten's cackle behind me.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I skidded to a stop as Sasuke and Naruto caught up to me before the door. Naruto was laughing at my reaction and Sasuke had a small smirk on his face. My own face was a bright red with my heart pounding wildly in my chest.

Before us, in a swirl of leaves, appeared Kakashi. "Well, well. What's this? Why's Nao-chan so red?"

"She was asked out on a date by some spandex boy," Naruto snickered.

"Squealed and fled," Sasuke chuckled.

I flushed and looked down at my toes, which suddenly seemed _very_ fascinating.

"Maa," Kakashi said, moving forward and patting my head. "She's too young for that sort of thing. I'd hate to think what I'd have to do to the pedophile if she had actually said _yes_. Well, I came here to wish you all good luck."

"Ha," Naruto snorted. "We won't need it."

"Th-thank you, Kakashi-sensei," I mumbled, shifting.

Sasuke's smirk only widened.

"Mn. I'm proud of all three of you and I want you to do your best. Don't let the others push you around."

"Like we'd let _that_ happen," Sasuke snorted.

Kakashi's eye crinkled into what I knew to be a smile. I felt myself smiling back, my heartbeat slowing and my complexion returning to normal.

In another swirl of leaves, Kakashi was gone and the three of us entered the room.

Not even a second after entering the room, I was glomped by Ino.

"There's my baby sister," Ino cooed, hugging me tightly to her. I smiled and relaxed, my arms snaking around her and hugging her back. I may not have been so dependent on her anymore, but that did not mean I didn't enjoy her hugs and attention.

"So you guys are taking the exam, too? How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, joining us.

"Hi, Sissy, Big Brother, and Cho-kun," I greeted, still hugging my sister.

"What's Naruto-loser and Sasuke-bastard doing here?"

Naruto and Sasuke bristled as Kiba and his team entered the area around us, smirking confidently. On his head, his faithful companion yipped.

"'Bout to kick your ass," Naruto threatened.

"I was thinking more along the lines of _maim_ and _murder,_ but that works as well," Sasuke said with a small nod of his head in an almost regal fashion.

Ino squealed, releasing me to attempt to glomp Sasuke. He sidestepped her with ease, pulling me in front as she tried again. He used me as human shield and my sister glomped me once more. Ino pouted, but didn't try for a third time.

Kiba huffed.

"Perhaps you three should keep it down," said a smooth voice.

All eyes snapped towards a ( _disgusting_ ) sharp ( _mad_ ) young man ( _thing_ ) as he entered our little ring of friends.

"Why should we?" Naruto demanded.

"Look around you," the ( _snake_ ) boy said. "You're outnumbered and you don't want to get attacked by the older ones, do you?"

"Let them try," Sasuke snorted. "They'll be disqualified."

The boy gave a smile, his ( _its_ ) lips forming a tight line. "I suppose that's true. Very astute of you to point it out; but say, would any of you like a look at my Ninja Info Cards?"

"What are they?" Kiba asked incredulously.

"Why, I've collected information on all the Genin—"

"How?" Sasuke asked.

"I've failed this exam seven times."

"You suck," Naruto deadpanned.

"How did you collect this information?" Shino inquired.

He ( _it_ ) smiled more widely. "To collect information on the other Genin to help me further in my exams—"

"That's stupid," I said quietly.

His ( _dangerous_ ) eyes snapped towards me. "How so?"

"To collect data for other exams," I said hesitantly. "It's useless if they are made Chūnin. Not to mention the majority of them die. And then there's the long list of _newer_ Genin that you shouldn't have _any_ information on. It's pointless to have such cards unless you want to collect information on _Chūnin_."

"She's right," Shikamaru said with narrowed eyes. "Not to mention those cards are a violation of the neutral treaty. Direct information derived from the exams are to be seen and handled by the Kages prior to the Final Exam. How troublesome."

"So basically, you're cheating," Naruto drawled.

His smile slipped. (It always did)

Sasuke tilted his head. "I suggest you leave. Better to quit now, before we report you."

The boy dipped his head in acknowledgement before he turned and headed back to his teammates. We didn't notice them leaving.

I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, there was a puff of smoke and in entered a scarred man in a long dark coat.

The First Exam had begun.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Each of us were seated far away from each other, but that did not hinder me. The papers were already passed out and I stared down at the complicated problems in front of me. Ibiki was monologuing in the front of the room and I ignored him. He already explained the rules and now he was wasting our time by rambling.

The problems were advanced. Things that they did not teach us in the academy and only select few would know how to do without cheating.

Thankfully, my team was one of those select few.

Sasuke and I understood those problems, yes that was true. We knew them because they were relatively simple in our eyes. Well, not _simple_ , as I would still have difficulty doing them, but we understood the basics enough that we could more than likely go through each problem one by one. So long as we didn't rush through, the two of us should be able to handle it. Naruto was not a prodigy like the two of us. Under normal circumstances, that would have hindered him.

But these were not normal circumstances. Naruto may not be a genius like Sasuke and I, but he was gifted in being able to understand the issue and solve it. It was more challenging on paper for him, true, but nothing he could not handle. Had not handled, anyway. Look at the ingenious plans he came up with on the spot when pressured.

It was Shikamaru who first noticed it. None of us would have guessed how bright Naruto could be at times if Shikamaru hadn't watched Naruto and Sasuke spar all those years ago. Shikamaru was the one who drilled into us to work _smarter,_ not _harder_ , and we all knew that Naruto would more than likely never be able to grasp the academic things that we could. At least, not in the normal way.

Naruto wasn't the type to learn by _reading_ or _studying_. He was the type of person to see a problem, break it down and solve it.

It was vastly different doing such a thing on paper than it was in an actual blood-pumping-adrenaline-coursing battle, but the principle was there and it was thanks to Shikamaru that Naruto learned how to use it.

The _only_ reason Naruto remained the dead-last was because he had too little patience for tests that wouldn't matter in the long run, and piss-poor chakra control (and that was something that _none_ of us could assist him with).

It was for that reason alone I did not concern myself with Naruto. Sasuke and I could handle these problems and I knew for sure Naruto could handle them as well.

I glanced towards Sasuke and his eyes caught mine. His eyes trailed over to Naruto and I followed them. Naruto looked back at us, a challenging grin on his face.

He mouthed, _First one done doesn't have to do dishes for a week._

A mischievous smirk appeared on my face and I caught the same look on Sasuke's.

I mouthed, _Last one done has to do them instead._

Sasuke's smirk widened and he nodded his head. Naruto nodded his as well and I grinned.

I turned to my worksheet, already reading the first problem, and I set to work.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Done," I called out happily, a triumphant smile on my face. I set my pencil down and turned my sheet over.

Sasuke and Naruto didn't reply, instead they worked faster.

"Finished," Sasuke called, flipping his sheet over and sitting back, smirking.

"Damn it... done," Naruto grumbled, turning his sheet over and sighing.

"Quiet," Ibiki snapped in the front.

The three of us shrugged, not really caring. And we sat back and waited for the 'tenth question'.

At least, until I heard Ino's voice echoing throughout my head.

_Hey, little sister of mine._

_Sissy?_

Ino had the possession technique down for quite some time and had moved onto the next phase of clan training: projecting and linking thoughts. She couldn't do it to a stranger yet, but the more familiar she was with someone, the easier it was for her to project and read thoughts. She couldn't link more than one thought either, but she would get there with time.

_Can you give me the answers to the test? Pretty please? I don't really want to possess someone._

_Sure, Sissy! The first answer is—_

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Well that was anticlimactic," Naruto grumbled as the three of us made our way towards the Forest of Death. After Ibiki's explanation about the tenth question, a strange lady by the name of Anko busted in and ruined it... yes. Yes, that was exactly the word for the event.

"I thought these exams were supposed to be more—" Sasuke seemed to struggle for a moment with the right word, "—instigating."

Naruto nodded his head. "I know. Man, how boring. Oh well, at least this seems like it'll finally have some action. I've been dying to show off how amazing I am."

"There's a problem with that plan though," Sasuke said. "You _aren't_ amazing."

Naruto snorted. "You're in denial."

"I'm not going to confirm or deny that, either way I'd lose," Sasuke muttered dryly.

Naruto grinned. "That's how awesome I am."

"But the name is really cliché," I murmured. " _Forest of Death_? Really?"

Sasuke snorted. "I know. They might as well have called it _Insert Stereotypical Name Here_."

"Oh, really?" Naruto asked with a grin. "Then I'd call it the _Formidable Naruto Forest_!"

"That's even more unoriginal," Sasuke said.

"At least my hair is beautiful," Naruto said with a sniff.

Sasuke sputtered. "Beautiful? What does that have to do with _anything_ , you—"

He stopped himself at Naruto's grinning face. His eyes narrowed.

"You said that to get a rise out of me, didn't you?"

"I plead contemporary insanity."

"You don't need to plead it," I said reasonably. "We already know you're insane."

"Like the rest of us," Sasuke sighed.

Naruto grinned. "Man, I love my team."

"We are a bit breathtaking, aren't we?" I demurred.

"Indeed we are."

"Oh, there's the Forest of Unoriginal Naming," Naruto said, lifting his arm and pointing his finger. Standing before a fenced-in _giant_ forest was a large group of Genin. The Genin that had passed the first test.

Slowly, but surely, the three of us made our way towards the massive group.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"How soon do you think it'll take until we find a scroll?" Naruto asked, walking slowly in front of us. The three of us weren't even bothering trying to run. We weren't sure who we would run into first and we might need every last bit of our chakra. Not to mention running through the trees was way too obvious. You'd be surprised how many people weren't expecting others to walk on the ground.

"I don't know," I said.

"I bet we find a group in two hours," Naruto said.

Sasuke cocked his head. "Less than one hour."

"You're on," Naruto said.

Not even a second after Naruto said those words did three large Genin land in front of us. From their headbands, I could tell they were from Iwa. With a small frown, I glanced over them.

They didn't seem special. In fact, they were scrawny and held the wrong stance for both offense and defense. They were older than us, of course, but that gave them no advantage. It seemed they were hoping to scare us into submission.

"That's not fair," Naruto muttered while Sasuke smirked in triumph.

"Sasuke," I murmured. "I'll go for the one on the right, you finish him. Naruto, can you handle the other two until Sasuke and I are done?"

"Piece of cake," Naruto said, grinning.

"Brats," drawled the smallest one in the middle. "Hand over the scroll and no one gets hurt."

I pushed my chakra out as Naruto summoned a small army of clones. As Naruto and Sasuke rushed towards them, my chakra had reached my opponent. He was caught off guard by Naruto and Sasuke's assault and was momentarily frozen. He didn't even realize I had captured him until Sasuke moved in to attack. But when he did realize, he didn't realize _how_ soon enough. Sasuke had already ducked in close to him, twisting his own body to knee our opponent's diaphragm.

Instant knockout.

When I felt him sag in my grip, I released my hold, letting out a shaky breath and fighting off a wave of fatigue and sharp pounding sensation. I looked over to find Naruto had already defeated one of them and the last one —the smallest one— stood shaking before us.

"H-Here, take it," he said, setting the scroll down.

He then turned tail and fled the scene.

The three of us shrugged and Naruto picked up the scroll.

"Figures," Naruto muttered. "We already have this one."

"You hold on to that one then," Sasuke said. "Let's move out and see if we can find another team."

"Right."

****Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Answer:** Jumin Han. ;)
> 
>  **Question:** If you *had* to lose a single body part. What would it be and why?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	12. Arc III - Panic

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

An hour later, literally out of nowhere, a huge blast of sheer _power_ erupted in front of us. I barely had time to scream in surprise before I felt Sasuke's hand grab on to my own and I reached to grab Naruto's. However, the blast was too strong, and in a matter of seconds, Naruto was ripped away from us and we were sent hurtling through the forest like little pebbles that had been kicked aside by a child.

I twisted my body along with Sasuke and we landed with a thud in a small clearing.

I winced and turned around.

"What the hell was that?" Sasuke asked, his voice low.

"That was me."

Shivers raced down my spine at the slick voice, but it wasn't the voice that terrified me.

It was the killer intent.

That particular intent made Zabuza's look like a purring kitten. The sheer amount of desire for blood to be spilled—for _our_ blood to be spilled—coupled with the amount of power that oozed out, along with the voice—

My stomach heaved and a whimper escaped me.

Kakashi wasn't there, though.

We were on our own.

I didn't even realize I was shaking so badly until I noticed Sasuke. He, too, was shaking with fear, his dark eyes wide with it.

The owner of the voice stepped before us, smiling twistedly. "Why _hello,_ Sasuke-kun."

His eyes—oh sweet Kami, his _eyes_.

His eyes were like a serpent that had found its prey; like a mad scientist who found a new and fascinating specimen; like an insane killer who found his latest victim.

Us.

I whimpered again, cowering away from him.

Sasuke tore his eyes away from the man towards me. I met his gaze and saw something I did not like. The same small glow of determination in his eyes that he held the day he activated his Sharingan. For a brief panicked moment, I feared he was going to try and use himself as a human shield for me, but that thought was over quickly.

Because Sasuke had reacted already.

In a single movement, he pulled out a kunai and jabbed his leg with it. He grimaced in pain, but he had stopped shaking. Upon realizing what he had done, my only visible eye widened, but he was already on the move. He threw down a smoke bomb and grabbed me.

In seconds, we were flying through the trees.

Sasuke led and I followed blindly, my heart hammering loudly and painfully in my chest. My head was dizzy with fear, and my body sluggish and numb with terror. I didn't know how long we ran, but when we had finally stopped we were out of breath and my fear had subsided enough to think clearly.

We landed on a branch, panting heavily.

"We have to find Naruto," I breathed.

"I—I know," Sasuke said quietly.

"How?" I asked him.

"I don't know," Sasuke answered. "But I—I don't ever want to see another precious person to me die. Even if it is Naruto."

I gave him a weak smile at his attempt to joke, but it faltered easily.

"Who was that?" I asked timidly.

"I don't know," Sasuke responded. "He can't be a Genin. That was too much—"

We lapsed into silence.

"Come on," Sasuke said, standing up. "Let's go and find—"

The tree behind us exploded into splinters and immediately, Sasuke and I leapt back and away from the tree, landing on another one. Where we once were was that man from before. He grinned at us.

"Now that wasn't very nice," he said, his voice sickeningly smooth. "I wasn't done talking."

Sasuke shifted and stepped in front of me. Keeping his voice low he said, "I'll attack. You hold."

My eyes widened, fear already pulsing inside of me. "But he's so strong—!"

"We have to try," Sasuke interrupted, already jumping off from the branch and moving his hands.

I suppressed a shudder of fear and bit my lip. Heart hammering, I forced my chakra out in a burst, shakily molding it and guiding it towards our opponent. My chakra wrapped around him in an invisible thread and he tensed, immediately realizing what had transpired. From the mere push and fluctuation of my chakra, I could already feel the pain rising up in my head, pounding and sharp.

His eyes narrowed as Sasuke finished the last handseal for his Great Fireball Jutsu.

And he broke my hold with ease, sending a searing white hot burning sensation to ride through my mind as he disrupted my control, then jumping out of the way of the ball and swinging his gaze towards me.

My eyes widened with fright as he lunged towards me, dark intent in his eyes.

Heart in throat and vision doubling from my technique, I could do nothing but wait for the inevitable.

Or _would_ have been inevitable had it not been for Naruto.

In a flash of orange, my brave friend leapt out of nowhere, his hand clenched tightly into a fist and rushing towards the man. His face twisted into a scowl as the man dodged him with relative ease, twisting his body as his eyes narrowed.

His original pursuit in me, however, did not go unnoticed and he continued on his path, annoyance dwelling in him.

"I won't let you hurt one of my friends," Naruto snarled, rushing forward again.

My legs wobbled and felt like water. I had to move. I had to get out of the way. Naruto gave me the chance and damn it, I had better take it!

"Especially my family!" he shouted.

Apparently more annoyed with Naruto than with me, the man's lower half melted away into a slithering form. He rested on a branch before his tail-like body swung around and slammed into me. It seemed to come at me faster than I would have thought possible, and I didn't have enough time to properly dodge it. It connected against my chest, forcing the air to rush out of me in a painful _whoosh_. I flew away from it and my head hit a tree. Sharp pain arched through the back of my head and darkness dotted my vision. Vaguely, I could see the man rushing towards Naruto.

But I was already falling to the forest floor.

I blacked out before I even hit it.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When I awoke, it was to the strangest sight. My mind was muffled and honestly, I couldn't really tell you _what_ I was properly thinking. My memory of that moment was incredibly blurred. At best, I could only tell you I was _feeling_ accurately. Like before with Haku and Zabuza, my mind felt on the verge of teetering. Only instead of a gentle slope like with them, I felt like I was hanging above a vast and horrendous cavern. Like if I took _one_ more step, I would fall and it would _not_ be a pretty sight.

Naruto was dangling from a tree branch, unconscious and a little battered, but other than that he _appeared_ to be okay. The forest around us was thoroughly damaged, singed and shattered. The ground I rested on was slick and sticky with my blood and my vision was blurred.

A little ways from me was Sasuke, panting heavily, and on his knees. And smirking a little ways from him was the man. His face was burnt off, revealing something else. Something (terrifyingly) familiar.

I struggled to see his face as my vision slowly refocused into clarity. His familiar, familiar face.

And I saw it.

My heart pounded loudly in my chest and my breath stopped.

It all rushed back to me. In one horrible wave. All my memories of my past life flooded through me and I _knew_ who he was. I _knew_ what was going to happen and I _knew_ what I had to do, but it was _so much more than that_. Because I _remembered_ everything and then—and then I was—I was—everything was—

My lungs were burning.

( _I couldn't breathe! I couldn't breathe!_ )

Tattered, tattered and _beatenbeatenbeaten_.

( _Tossed about like a rag doll)_

My mind was slowly descending into chaos as the old memories fought with the newers ones and one moment, I was here in the forest and the next, I was struggling against the—

There was a line, a single line of thought that broke through it all, because I saw _ThatManWhoJustWon'tDie_ take a step towards Sasuke( _Jaymie_ ), and I froze.

Orochimaru was going to hurt _my_ family.

It was that thought that finally pushed me over the edge. Anxiety, fear, panic, hysteria bubbled into me and I thought desperately about what I could do. They were too far. Too far. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't do anything! Again!

They were too far. They were too far. _Too far. Too far. Toofartoofartoofartoofar._

I couldn't attack; I was so very dizzy. Dizzydizzydizzy. But they were so far. They needed me. Sasuke needed me. Naruto needed me. _He needed me!_

If Sasuke left, Naruto would be hurt. They would all be hurt. ItachiDanzōEldersMassacre. GaaraKazekageKageSummit. HokageTsunadeLeafPeinNagatoKonan. AkatsukiAkatsukiAkatsuki.

_MomDadBabybrother._

Hurthurthurt. Deaddeaddead. They needed me, and I couldn't be there.

_I was going to lose them all._

I had to reach them. Had to protect them. Had to protect. Had to defend. Hadtohadto _hadto_.

I was delirious, my emotions were out of control, and I thought and prayed and _begged_ to be able to do something. For my body to _move_. I had this wonderfulamazinglybeautiful chakra, so _why the fuck couldn't I do something with it_? My body was so _sluggish_ and I knew I had lost too much blood, but I had to _move_ because I _needed_ to move, but I _couldn't_ do anything more than struggle to sit up.

I was hyperventilating, and for a moment, I wasn't in the forest again; I was _fallingfallingfallingagainagainagain_.

 _(No! No! I don't want to! Please! I don't want to die!_ )

TheHandWasTooFar.

Shaking, my vision still blurred, and frantically, I grabbed at my chakra. My body couldn't move, but _it_ could.

I willed it. I forced it. I _ripped it._

 _Panicpanicpanic_.

My mind snapped.

A black hole appeared beneath me as Orochimaru's neck elongated and his head shot towards the vulnerable Sasuke.

_Hadtoreachhadtoreach. Hadtohadtohadto._

For a heartbeat, all I saw was blackness, and all I felt was coldness, and all I heard was the gentle _huuusshh_ of the—

Then it was gone and I was shooting out of a black hole that had appeared right in front of Sasuke. My arms snaked out and wrapped around him and I threw myself on him.

Sharp, horrible pain sliced into my neck and I screamed.

 _Protectprotectprotect_.

Burning. Like lava being poured through my veins. It raged through my entire body, blinding me and blanketing my mind. Only sheer pain and agony ripped through me and I screamed. I screamed and I screamed.

Even as darkness edged my vision once more, all I could do was scream and scream.

_Ihadtoprotectthem._

_Becausetheyweremyfamily._

_Andbecause—because—_

It was my fault to begin with.

(I'm so

 _sorry_ )

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Answer:** . All my body hair that is not above my neck. :D Goodbye shaving! I'm really surprised very, very, very few of you considered your hair. ;P
> 
>  **Question:** You know how anime / manga hair is usually completely insane and unrepeatable in real life? Whose own hairdo (from an anime / manga) would you want to have as your very own hairdo?


	13. Arc III - Marked

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**(Third Person POV – Sasuke)**

Sasuke swallowed roughly, his eyes never straying from the freak of a man that had attacked them. Yellow eyes, slanted into snake-like slits, were wide with unhidden fury. When Nao had finally stopped screaming, slumping unconscious in Sasuke's lap, the snake man pulled back.

"Impudent brat," he hissed, his voice low and smooth as ice.

Sasuke did not reply, words failing him for the first time in a long time. He was sure, damn sure, some part of him was furious, but that part seemed so small and detached that he was able to ignore it with ease. Now was not the time to allow emotions to rule over him. He had two injured teammates and a foe that _would not die_.

Finally, for what seemed like an eternity, Sasuke found his tongue. "What did you do?"

The shinobi's eyes met with Sasuke's, narrowing with annoyance. "It was a gift to you, originally. Something I cannot produce twice of so soon, so it would seem you will have to wait a bit more for yours, Sasuke-kun."

"That doesn't answer my question," Sasuke replied, struggling to keep his voice even.

"If she lives, you'll find out on your own," he said dismissively, "but I suppose for now it would be in my best interest to leave. I wouldn't want to be found out so soon, I'm afraid. Until we meet again, Sasuke-kun. And rest assured, we _will_ meet again."

Before Sasuke could react, the man merged with the tree behind him, disappearing from sight and hopefully for good. When he was gone and Sasuke could no longer sense his chakra, nor his presence, Sasuke finally glanced down at the teammate in his lap.

Nao was breathing in short ragged pants, her face screwed up in pain. Sasuke carefully felt her forehead, annoyance flaring through him when he found it unnaturally warm.

 _Shit_ , Sasuke thought. _This exam is becoming more and more of a hassle—_

His arms wrapped around Nao and he shakily pulled himself up, silently grateful for her tiny body and light weight. If she weighed any more, Sasuke doubted his fatigue would allow him to carry her further. Speaking of more weight—

Sasuke glanced over to Naruto, who was laying down on a tree branch, unconscious.

 _Damn it,_ Sasuke cursed again. _Why did Naruto have to faint, too? Now I have to carry_ his _sorry ass, as well._

With a reluctant sigh, Sasuke kicked off in said orange shinobi's direction.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Both of them were still unconscious halfway through the night when Sasuke finished fortifying their hideout. Hidden high up in the treetops, Sasuke had set up various traps to not only alert him of enemy presence, but hopefully take a few enemies out. After applying the last explosive trap, Sasuke let out a relieved sigh.

Jumping back up to the top, he landed in between Naruto and Nao. With a tired, jaw breaking yawn, he switched both of their cooling rags. Satisfied they would both be alright without him for the rest of the night, Sasuke settled himself down a little ways from them and closed his eyes.

Sleep greeted him warmly.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Before dawn came up, Sasuke blinked his eyes groggily. Immediately, his body tensed, sensing the presence of others. His eyes roamed the forest floor below him, finally settling on a group of three Genin that were hidden not far from his tree. The three of them were speaking amongst each other, too far away to hear.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he felt his vision clarify as his Sharingan took hold. With narrowed eyes, he read their lips.

The first Genin, now dubbed Genin A, had a nearly entirely concealed face with wrappings. Sasuke could not read his lips, but he could read the others. Genin B, the only girl, was the first to speak since Sasuke activated his Sharingan.

 _So we've found three traps so far—there has to be more. We've only found the ones at the bottom, do you think there could be more up top?_ Genin B asked.

 _Probably,_ Genin C—the only other boy in the group—said. _I say we blast the tree from the bottom up and see what happens. Odds are the Uchiha is still asleep and the attack will at the very least do some damage._

 _And draw the attention of every other Genin in the area,_ Genin B hissed.

Genin A had spoken because the other two turned to look at him.

 _You're right,_ Genin C conceded. _So what are we supposed to do? We're supposed to attack at dawn, and it's nearly dawn. We've wasted all night finding them and when we finally found them, we find them layered in traps. Traps we've only found three of, need I remind you?_

 _Shut up,_ Genin B snarled. _You're going to draw attention if you raise your voice any higher, idiot._

A sort of strained breath caught Sasuke's attention. Whirling around, his eyes settled on Naruto who was slowly blinking his own eyes open. "Wha—?"

Sasuke held up a finger to his lips. Naruto frowned at the action. Satisfied Naruto wouldn't make any more noise, Sasuke turned back to the three Genin below.

— _have to risk it. We need to attack at dawn or risk Orochimaru's wrath. The Uchiha_ must _die,_ Genin C growled.

 _Orochimaru?_ Sasuke thought softly, filing the name away later for consideration.

 _Fine!_ Genin B exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air from exasperation. Genin A said something and the two of them immediately quieted.

Sasuke frowned, looking away from them and in the direction the sun would rise. Already the sky was beginning to lighten. He had, perhaps, seven minutes before it was dawn. Moving quietly away from the edge, Sasuke moved to kneel beside Naruto.

Naruto was looking at Nao with a worried expression, a frown tugging down at his lips. Gently, he felt her forehead, pulling back after a while. He glanced at Sasuke, his clear blue eyes shining with concern. "She has a fever."

"I know."

"What happened?"

Sasuke paused a moment before explaining what had occurred when Naruto lost consciousness. When he was finished, Naruto wore a hardened expression, a glower set on his face.

"That bastard," Naruto growled under his breath, voice low. For the briefest of moments, Sasuke could have sworn he saw a red tint in Naruto's eyes, but it was gone before he could really consider seeing it.

Sasuke did not bother to reply to that remark, choosing instead to glance down at the Genin below. "We don't have time for that."

"What do you—?" Naruto followed Sasuke's gaze and his eyes narrowed. "I see. Have a plan?"

Sasuke smirked. "One."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Genin C was the first one to attack. He leapt from his hiding spot and straight above the third trap Sasuke had set. The third trap was a hidden trap; a barrage of needles kept ready to spring at the simple tug of thin twine Sasuke had up beside him.

He pulled on the twine, and the barrage of needles erupted from their hiding spot. Genin C's eyes widened as he quickly realized he had nowhere to dodge the needles while he was in midair. Grimacing, his arms shot out towards the needles and Sasuke watched with morbid curiosity as _air_ shot out of his palms in a highly pressurized line. The air threw the needles off course and Genin C was able to safely make it to trap four.

As Genin C touched the top of trap four, the trap (it was a spring, meant to launch the enemy high into the air) triggered and back into the air Genin C went.

Genin C gave a startled shout as he flipped over several times, his back now to Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked and hurled himself into the air, delivering several nasty kicks to Genin C's vulnerable spine. Genin C was kicked further into the air as Sasuke safely fell back down to the tree tops, smirking in satisfaction.

When Genin C fell to the ground, it was with a loud and hollow thump, unconscious or dead.

Either worked for Sasuke.

Naruto snickered beside him. "That guy was pathetic."

It was then that a senbon needle flew out to land next to Sasuke, a bell ringing from it.

 _Tch,_ Sasuke thought. _A combination of genjutsu and senbon. Great. Great._

With a final glance towards his only unconscious teammate, Sasuke readied himself for battle.

 _She owes me lots of tomatoes for covering her sorry butt,_ Sasuke thought, although there was no actual threat or malice behind his words.

However, that was the most he was allowed to think before Genin B froze. Genin B then proceeded to turn and start attacking Genin A (who had been hiding behind the bushes). Sasuke watched in surprise and wary confusion as Genin A attempted to reason with Genin B. That only seemed to anger Genin B, though, and then Genin A froze as well.

Sasuke's eyes widened in realization as Genin B _then_ proceeded to take out some rope, knock out Genin A, and tie him up. The shadows that were once attached to Genin A slithered and moved to wrap around Genin B. Genin B then slumped forward and Chōji stepped out into the clearing, knocking her out and tying her up.

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged brief smiles.

"Oi, what are you three doing?" Naruto called down.

It was Ino who responded. She came out of the bushes, her face screwed up with worry. "I—I had this feeling. Nao. Can I see Nao?"

Sasuke's smile (smirk, really) slipped and Naruto glanced away, his eyes trailing down.

"Boys," Ino said, her voice low and her eyes narrowing. "Where is _my baby sister_?"

"Up here," Sasuke finally said. "Be careful of the traps."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as he stepped out of the bushes.

It didn't take long before the trio of friends reached team seven. Ino's eyes widened and she rushed to Nao's side, kneeling beside her and pulling her head in her lap. She brushed back Nao's hair, placing a hand over her cheek.

"She's burning up," Ino whispered, her voice shaking.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asked, his eyes sharpening as he pinned Sasuke with his heavy gaze.

Sasuke took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

He explained everything.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ino was shaking by the time Sasuke was finished, but it was not from fear or sadness. The girl was _furious_. Her eyes were lit with unhidden fury and glinting with the promise of revenge. Sasuke had to admit, he had never seen the girl like that—then again he didn't spend much time with her in the first place.

"And you _let that happen_?" Ino finally asked, a bite in her voice as she glared darkly at Sasuke.

Sasuke blinked in surprise.

_Wasn't she supposed to be my fan girl?_

"You allowed her— _again!—_ to shield you? First, she lost her _fucking_ _eye_ , and now she might lose her _fucking life_!" Ino snarled, shaking and bringing Nao closer.

Sasuke shifted uneasily, not liking how close to the mark Ino was hitting.

And he knew, he knew full and well that Ino wasn't really mad at _him._ She was hurt and angry that her sister had once again been placed in a less than desirable situation. It was possible that she may even be mad at herself for not being there, and that she was taking it out on him.

"So much for being Top Rookie," Ino sneered.

Or at least he thought he knew.

Sasuke, once again ignoring the uneasy feeling Ino reminded him of—guilt? What did he need guilt for? Sure, she was a friend, but it's not like he could have stopped her and it wouldn't do anyone any good for him to dwell on _guilt_ —h _e_ exchanged glances with Shikamaru.

"We need to get her to the tower," Shikamaru finally said.

"What?" Naruto blinked.

Sasuke noted how Naruto had been hovering unusually close to Nao. Sasuke would have guessed that if Ino hadn't been holding (and hogging) the girl all to herself, _he_ would have.

"It's the safest place and more than likely they have someone who can help her. It's our best option," Shikamaru said. "How many scrolls do you have?"

"The weird guy ruined one of ours. but we have an extra."

"Chōji. go check the team we took care of down there. See if they have one."

Chōji nodded, munching nervously on some chips.

Nao gave a small sigh, her brow furrowing. Ino pulled her closer, kissing her forehead and smoothing back Nao's sweaty bangs. "Shh. It's alright, imouto. Sissy's here."

For a brief— _oh so brief—_ moment, Sasuke didn't see Ino and Nao. Instead he saw himself and—

Sasuke blinked as Chōji called up to them, "They've got one Heaven Scroll!"

"That's actually exactly what we need," Sasuke said.

"So now we need to get to the tower," Naruto concluded.

"We'll go with you guys," Ino said quickly.

"No," Shikamaru immediately disagreed, ignoring Ino's look of outrage. "We still need to get our scrolls so _we_ can get into the tower. We'll waste too much time if we go with them, and we won't be of anymore help to them if we don't get in the tower. Besides, they're less likely to be spotted by other teams if they move on their own than if we traveled with them."

Ino glanced away, her eyes softening as she mulled over Shikamaru's words.

"Fine."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**(First Person POV - Nao)**

My brow furrowed.

Now conscious, I felt myself wanting to frown. My entire body felt ragged and exhausted. My mind was weary and blurred.

For the life of me, I couldn't remember what had happened.

Only only wanting to protect and then pain. In my neck.

Right where it was throbbing erratically, actually; a constant pain that had me nearly cringing. To describe the pain it would be impossible. I could only tell you how it dug into me; into my very core and wrapped around my very essence. It was driving itself into me, trying to take me over.

Forcefully and painfully.

I noted I was being carried; piggybacked. From the scent and feel of the hair, by someone very familiar—

I cracked my eyes open. "Naru—?"

We had been moving quickly on tree branches, but at my voice, Naruto stopped, halting immediately. Sasuke landed next to him, eyeing me carefully, a mix of worry and fear in his face. I blinked my eye groggily.

"Nao-chan?" Naruto asked hesitantly, twisting his head to face me. "Oh thank thank Ramen King, you're awake."

"What—?"

"You shielded me from that man," Sasuke said quietly, his eyes trailing downcast. "I don't know how. One second you were far away and the next right there. That man—he bit you. There's a weird mark on your neck now."

I winced. "Thank you both."

They both tensed, looking at me alarmed.

"You're the one who saved me," Sasuke argued, a scowl on his face.

"But you pulled me away from him," I said softly. "You shielded me against him and were prepared to fight him for me. Naru, you saved my life. When he attacked me and Sasuke was too far I would not be alive without either of you. Thank you."

Thick silence fell between us, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

"There's no need to thank us," Naruto said roughly, his voice thick. "We're friends. We're all we have."

Sasuke gave a slow nod, not making eye contact with either of us.

"Let's go. We have to get to the tower," he said gruffly. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get Nao checked out."

I gave a small nod and my eyes fluttered closed. Unable to help myself, I drifted back into sweet oblivion.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When I woke up once more, I was lying in a bed. My clothes had been changed. No longer were they bloodstained and dirt covered things; I was wearing gauze, too, and my hoodie. My injuries seemed treated and my body felt oddly relaxed. Well, aside from the neck, of course.

Naruto noticed me at once as he was sitting beside me. Sasuke was in front of Naruto on my other side and Kakashi next to Naruto.

I blinked my eyes and slowly sat up, frowning. "What—?"

"We made it to the tower," Sasuke explained. "We told Iruka what happened—who showed up because the scrolls were actually _summoning_ scrolls—and he promised help. Kakashi arrived here about an hour ago."

Kakashi gave me a calculating look. "May I see your neck?"

I nodded my head and shifted. Turning my neck and brushing back my hair, I stretched my neck out for him to see. Kakashi ghosted closer to me, his light fingers brushing against the mark.

"Mn," Kakashi murmured. "As I thought. Although it's not—not like that woman's. Did he _bite_ you or...?"

"He grazed her," Sasuke said slowly. "He snapped back pretty quickly when he realized she was in front of me."

"That may be why," Kakashi muttered. "It's not—It almost appears as though it's incomplete; like he could only give you a shadow of it due to lack of time or something. More than likely—I'm hesitant to call it this, but for lack of a better word, you have a Curse Mark. Something special to Orochimaru. It will have to be sealed, but—"

"But?" Naruto prompted.

"I can't."

"Then get someone who can," Sasuke said shortly.

"They can't either."

"What do you mean?" Naruto demanded.

"It's still the second part of the exam," Kakashi said, his voice flat. "By sealing the mark, I'm interfering with the exam. By sealing the mark on one of my own Genin, I'm playing favoritism _and_ interfering with the exam. It's cheating."

"Then don't get caught!" Naruto exploded.

"Sealing something like this would alert every Jōnin in the area," Kakashi said dryly. "I can't _not_ get caught. I can't do anything to the seal now. When the second exam is over, I'll be able to seal it, but for now—"

My eyes trailed down and my shoulders sagged.

"Son of a—" Naruto swore vehemently. Sasuke glowered and glared down at his lap.

Kakashi placed a hand on my head. "However—"

All of us looked up at him.

"Well," Kakashi hummed. "There _is_ a medicine that'll ease the pain as well as induce a wonderful sleep. In fact, I have some right now."

He pulled out a small bottle of pills and set them in my lap.

"It would be a _shame_ if I _accidently_ forgot them so _conveniently_ by my student who _so happens_ to need some," Kakashi hummed. "Oh well. I better get going. Ja ne."

When Kakashi disappeared in a poof, the three of us were grinning (minus Sasuke, who was smirking).

"Kakashi-sensei is awesome," Naruto decided.

I agreed wholeheartedly.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Resting for two days went by fairly quickly, seeing how the three of us mostly spent our time sleeping. Or at least I did. I awoke a scarce few times, one of them being to my sister who frantically hugged me and then refused to leave my side for the remainder of the day. Not that I was complaining. It was nice to have her by my side. I was not quite sure what my boys were up to when I was unconscious and they didn't feel compelled to tell me.

But despite resting for so long, I felt no better.

Oh sure, my body was nowhere near as sagged and limp as it was two days ago, but my 'Curse Mark' did not make anything easier. Constantly, I felt it throbbing, burning and searing. It wanted me to give in. It wanted me to bend and allow it to take over. It promised me if I did, the pain would stop.

I wanted the pain to stop so badly.

But I was too terrified of the consequences. Although I had never heard the term 'Curse Mark' until now, the very sound of it promised nothing but misfortune. Despite my obvious ignorance, I was _petrified_ of it. Some buried subconscious part of me gave me the instinct to fear the mark with every fiber of my being. And to hate it.

And hate it, I did.

But it was so _tempting_.

Not only did it promise to stop the pain, but it promised to make me feel _good_ and _strong_.

I was not strong in the fight against _that_ man, and I most certainly did not feel good at all.

I wanted this exam to be over with, so I could get rid of that thing.

At the end of two days, the three of us stood in a large cement room. The entire floor held cracks and small craters with blood stains dotting them. The walls were large and long, also sporting many cracks and blood stains. On either side of the wall were balconies, and although they looked sturdy, they held many fractures and guess what? More blood stains.

All of my fellow Leaf Village Genin were gathered.

Gaara, I had also noted, seemed oddly calm and less edgy, but there was still a tense underline in his posture and his pale eyes somehow showed no sign of light. Temari and Kankurō seemed intent on refusing to look at him.

In front of us, the Hokage rambled on about a preliminary match, but I couldn't quite concentrate.

My Curse Mark was acting up once again. I winced and clutched my neck as a reflex. A useless reflex, but a reflex nonetheless. It throbbed painfully, longing to be released.

I couldn't concentrate.

At the end of his speech was the arrival of the new proctor, followed by a screen appearing the first match was decided.

_**Yamanaka Inonao** _

_**Vs.** _

_**Yoroi** _

I stared at it, momentarily uncomprehending before I understood.

Fuck.

Naruto winced sympathetically with me and gave me a worried look. Sasuke frowned at me before patting me lightly on the head. I gave a sort of grudging sigh as they, along with the rest of the Genin, moved up to the balconies.

My Curse Mark throbbed painfully and I cringed again.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Kakashi appeared from behind me. Placing a hand on my shoulder, he bent down and whispered into my ear. "The Curse Mark will take over you if you use any ninjustu, or if your chakra is depleting too quickly. If the Curse Mark activates, I will be forced to interfere and you'll be disqualified. If you lose control, that is."

"Taijutsu only, got it," I muttered before wincing again.

Kakashi squeezed my shoulder reassuringly, before he too left.

I stood before the one who was supposed to be my opponent. Yoroi. I could see nothing distinctive about him —he looked like a cliché henchman for a doctor or something. However, from his stance and his chuckling, I could assume he was smirking and quite confident in fighting me.

I didn't like being underestimated.

I squared him off, frowning slightly as the proctor had us begin.

Immediately, Yoroi rushed forward, his hands glowing a light blue. His right hand snapped out towards me and I bent backwards, rolling with it. His chakra barely grazed my skin, but graze it, it did. I could feel a sickening pull from my own body and towards his. With a sinking stomach, I realized he was absorbing my chakra.

I could _not_ have asked for a worse opponent.

I continued bending backwards, intent on flipping and kicking up at him, but my neck throbbed and I cried out from the pain. My balance was lost, as well as my focus, and I fell to the ground. Yoroi wasted no time and prepared to dive towards me. Searing pain throbbed from my neck, but I rolled over and kicked myself back to my feet. Already, I was running towards him.

I was no stranger to pain, but _this_ —

That.

Damn.

Temptation.

I had to finish it quickly.

I bunched up my right fist, intent on punching, but the pain doubled and I was forced to falter. Yoroi took that to his advantage and grabbed hold of me, twisting me into a headlock and sucking my chakra quickly. I struggled in vain against him, but the pain from my neck was so intense and he was sucking my strength—

So tempting—

Just a second, _just_ a second—

No, I shouldn't—

Why not?

Only a little—

The pain in my neck doubled before it was gone completely and a rush of satisfaction bloomed inside of me. I grinned maliciously and twisted out of Yoroi's grasp, grabbing his own arm and pulling it towards me with as much strength as I could muster. I heard a sickening pop and felt sick glee inside of me. Not finished, I released his arm and he staggered back with a cry of pain.

I rushed towards him, bringing up my dominant leg and kicking him as hard as I could.

He flew across the room, crashing into the wall with a disgusting thud and multiple cracks. Dust covered my view of him, but I didn't need it.

No.

No.

_No._

That subconscious part of me seemed to be screaming _no_ so loudly and shrilly in my head, it broke through the cloud of malicious haze that had previously taken hold of me.

My stomach dropped as I realized what I had done.

Relying on the curse mark—

I pushed it back, the power that flowed through me along with the sick satisfaction. I shoved it away from me fearfully, and already the pain returned. This time it was a thousand times hotter and I cried out. Shakily, I dropped to my knees, clutching my neck desperately as I fought for control.

I would _not_ let this thing take me over.

I would _not_ become someone's slave.

I would _not_ lose.

As the incredible (dark) chakra receded back inside of me, the pain was almost unbearable. Nearly blinded, I could only vaguely make out the figures of the others and the words that I had won.

I had won but only in time.

I shook and bit back a whimper.

Kakashi appeared next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder and giving me a smile.

I gave a sluggish nod, before sagging and forcing oblivion to take hold of me once more.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Topless and bare, I shivered in the cold, damp air. The sealing room, as I had dubbed it, was a dark and dreary place. It screamed ritualistic horror movie. The poorly lit place had my eyes straining in the darkness to properly see.

I shivered again, goosebumps rising up my skin as Kakashi continued to draw seals on my body.

"What exactly—what exactly do I have?"

"I've already talked with—some others," Kakashi said. "Orochimaru has been experimenting with something we call the Curse Mark. In theory, its completed version will give someone an inhuman amount of power and strength. However, for it to take effect, to take root, it requires direct contact with Orochimaru and for him to inject it inside of the host."

"Like snake venom," I muttered.

"Yes," Kakashi said quietly. "From what Sasuke has described, and our own information, he didn't really complete the—injection. What you have is a fracture of the mark. Incomplete. It's more or less akin to—to his first living subject of the mark, with some exceptions. For instance, _yours_ causes malicious intent and gives you a minor boost in strength with it. That's about as far as the differences stretch, however."

"How can you tell?"

"We _do_ have spies of our own," Kakashi said dryly. "We. We know about the completed version of the Mark and from what we've seen of yours—and in comparison."

"I see," I whispered.

We lapsed into silence as Kakashi finished drawing the last of the seals.

"Ready?" I asked, my voice a hoarse whisper.

"Yes," Kakashi said. "This is going to hurt, a lot, but it will be over quickly. When you wake up, you'll be in the hospital and probably a bit delirious."

"Will it permanently seal the Curse Mark away?" I asked quietly.

Kakashi seemed to hesitate a moment. "No. I'm not a seal master The only person I could think of that could possibly seal something like this would be Jiraiya of the Sannin, but—"

He let the _but_ hang in the open air. He didn't need to say it.

Jiraiya was nowhere near the village and even if he was here, there was no guarantee he would seal it.

My eyes closed and I felt hope drain away from me. Sagging slightly, I resigned myself to my fate.

Kakashi began the sealing.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Answer:** Neko from K. No particular reason.
> 
>  **Question:** Best T.V. series you have ever watched?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	14. Arc IV - Foundation

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

Dizzily, I opened my eyes and found Kakashi sitting next to me. I was changed into my regular clothes, happy to find that there were no IVs plunged into me at all. Instead, Kakashi sat perfectly content next to my bed and read his book.

I also noted that there were many bouquets of flowers surrounding me. I felt a small smile tug at my lips at how thoughtful my visitors must have been. I slowly sat up and Kakashi looked up at the action.

"How do you feel?" Kakashi inquired.

"Dizzy," I murmured. "And—"

I closed my eyes and concentrated.

My body was repaired, the physical form at least.

But. But my mark was still there.

I felt a strong stab of bitter disappointment through my heart. I knew it wasn't going to work fully; however, I couldn't help but hold onto childish belief that it would. It hadn't, of course. The Curse Mark was still there and while the pain was gone, the temptation was not.

I could not decide which was worse.

At least the pain was a constant reminder to why I shouldn't give in to it. And while I was by no means a masochist, I would much rather take the physical pain it brought me than the horrible temptation it currently gave me.

I didn't want to lose myself.

"I still feel it," I whispered, my voice thick.

"I'm sorry."

My eyes opened and I looked down at my hands.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "You passed the preliminaries and you'll be moving onto the Final Round. You'll fight either Sasuke or Gaara; you have a bye, so whoever wins that round, you'll be facing. When you're able to move again, I'll take you and Sasuke a little ways out of the village to train."

"What about Naruto?" I asked, my brow furrowed.

"Don't worry, he has a teacher," Kakashi assured me.

I nodded my head slowly.

"Goodbye. I should probably tell the others you're awake."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Man, so Kakashi is training you, too?" Naruto asked, slurping some of his ramen noodles. I blinked up at him, shifting in my hospital bed and twirling my chopsticks.

"Yeah," I murmured.

"Damn," Naruto grumbled. "First Sasuke and now you. He actually tried to get me stuck with some basic instructor! How come he chose you two?"

I shrugged, motioning towards my neck. "He chose me to keep an eye on my mark. He chose Sasuke probably because Sasuke is his favorite."

"Favorite!" Naruto screeched. "I don't think so! I'll show him that _I_ should be his favorite."

"Why can't it be me?" I asked curiously.

"'Cause you're _everyone's_ favorite," Naruto said dismissively. "Besides, Sasuke and I won't share you."

I chortled. "Is that so? What about Sister and Chō-kun?"

"Okay, we can share you, but only with them."

"What about Papa and Momma?"

"Fine them, too."

"What about—"

"Okay, okay, I get it, but we still won't share you with Kakashi."

I felt a small smile of amusement tug at my lips at Naruto's childish declaration, but it did not reach fully. I was unable to reach a good mood. The Curse Mark.

"So who do you have teaching you now?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Oh well, I dumped the loser guy and tried to find another teacher. I found this really old pervert instead, but he's supposed to be good."

"Who is he?"

"Mmm. Jiraiya, but I call him Pervy-Sage."

I stiffened. "Jiraiya? Jiraiya as in _Jiraiya the Toad Sage of the Sannin?"_

Naruto frowned. "I guess."

"Can you take me to him?" I asked, my eyes widening.

"What? Why?"

"He's a seal master," I said quickly. "If he could. if I could get him to just. take a look at my Curse Mark, then I won't have to."

"I thought Kakashi sealed that thing away," Naruto said, his eyes narrowing.

"He's not a seal master," I whispered.

Naruto gave a firm nod. "Then yeah. I'll bust you out of here and you can talk to Pervy-Sage, but if you ask me, don't expect too much. I don't think he's very impressive."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," I whispered, gratitude along with hope filling me.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Who's this?" The man, who I assumed to be Jiraiya, asked upon seeing me. Naruto held my hand as he guided me through the pathway and towards the small clearing he would train with Jiraiya at.

"This is one of my precious people," Naruto declared. "She has a problem."

Jiraiya looked at me as I released Naruto's hand. My shyness took hold of me and I couldn't resist the urge to look down, a blush forming across my cheeks. His eyes continued to watch me, sharp and calculating and his expression was coolly neutral. Although his posture and stance read relaxed, I couldn't help but notice the underlying tension in it.

"I'm Nao," I whispered, clenching my fists. In a burst of bravery, I dropped to my knees and bowed. "Will you please help me?"

Naruto stiffened immediately at my position and much to Jiraiya's credit, he only frowned. Naruto looked down at me, worry creasing his brow as he knelt beside me, placing a hand on my back.

"What's wrong?" Jiraiya asked.

"Some weirdo bit her," Naruto explained for me. "Now she has a Curse Mark and no one can seal it. She thinks you can help her."

"Weirdo. Curse Mark," Jiraiya echoed, his brow furrowed.

"If you can help her, you have to," Naruto said. "Please, Pervy-Sage."

"What's she to you?" Jiraiya asked skeptically.

"She's my first friend," Naruto said, his head lifting up and a challenge lighting his eyes. I knew that look. It was the same look he had when he was out to prove a point to Sasuke, or the teachers in the academy. It was also the same look that said he would _not_ take no for an answer.

Naruto went on,"That's why you have to help her because if you don't, I'll kick your ass."

I almost snorted in amusement at Naruto's confidence. Almost.

Jiraiya, however, _did_ snort in amusement and held up his hands in surrender. "Calm down, kid. I will. Girl, sit up."

I straightened and looked down shyly.

"Let me see," Jiraiya said, moving to squat down in front of me. I brushed back my hair and tilted my neck. Jiraiya frowned even more, before his fingers brushed across my neck, chakra pouring out of them. I winced inwardly at his prodding towards the sensitive spot, but held my tongue.

A moment passed and he pulled back, his eyes darkened.

"It's Sage energy," Jiraiya muttered under his breath.

"What?" Naruto asked, his face blank.

"Don't worry about it," Jiraiya said absently. "Yes, I can seal it, but it won't be permanent."

I must have looked crestfallen, because he was quick to continue. "It's only because it'll adapt to each seal placed on it. There is no way to properly seal it, especially at this stage. If I didn't know any better I would say it was incomplete, but. it's almost like it _is_ incomplete, unstable. Because it lacks stability, there can be no definite seal to hold it, it's too volatile." Jiraiya shook his head. "The seal I place on it now will suppress it completely, but over time it will dwindle down and the Curse Mark will be able to break free. When that happens, you have to place a new seal over it, something completely different."

I hesitated. "How will I do that?"

Jiraiya stared at me straight in the eye. "I'm not going to beat around the bush. There are very few who can properly seal that thing away, and even fewer who can design a new seal each time. I won't be around each time it breaks loose, either. If you don't want this thing to take you over, then you better become a seal master, or at the very least, proficient enough."

I froze at his words, my brow furrowed and I felt a keen sense of horror.

"Piece of cake," Naruto said for me.

Jiraiya snorted.

No. Not a piece of cake. The art of sealing was something so complicated only master shinobi even attempted to advance their skill. Normally, only even elite shinobi were able to create their own paper bombs and storage scrolls. Anything more advanced than that was rare and difficult to obtain. Not to mention all the past seal masters had been well older than me. More knowledgeable of the world and how it worked.

I was only _nine_. I couldn't become a seal master so easily. I doubted I could ever reach that goal, truly.

But I didn't have a choice.

Either I worked my ass off on the most difficult shinobi art, or I allowed myself to be taken over by the Curse Mark.

And I doubted, I truly and utterly doubted, I would be able to pull it off even if I did pursue the art.

It was a lose-lose scenario.

"I see," I said quietly.

"I'll seal it this time, but I'd say you have... five? Six? Maybe seven months before you have to seal it again," Jiraiya said. "Because it's still fresh in your body, you won't need a complicated seal for it, but as time goes on, you will need more complex seals for it."

I nodded my head, resigned and a little less than happy at my results. "Thank you. Really, thank you very much."

Jiraiya shifted, almost sheepishly, at my gratitude.

Naruto gave me an encouraging grin.

"Well," Jiraiya said, "let's get started then, shall we?"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I giggled.

The Curse Mark was no longer noticeable and for that, I felt incredibly joyful. It was daunting that I would have to study sealing, but it was better than the alternative. After Jiraiya had sealed my mark, Kakashi had found me along with Sasuke and the three of us were on our way to our training ground.

The reason I was giggling?

I got to piggy back.

It was childish, I know, but it was also amusing. The moment I felt free of that mark, I felt this dawning sense of liberation. It was like for so long I had been kept in the dark, then all of a sudden I was introduced to warm light. I was feeling so uncharacteristically giddy from the joy of no longer feeling the mark that I hopped onto Sasuke's back and demanded to be piggy backed there. It was something I had normally only done with my sister when I was very little (still at the hospital little), I found it very comforting to do, so naturally when I felt _that_ giddy I jumped at the chance. Sasuke was about to drop me on my butt, but Naruto taunted him saying he couldn't do it.

Being an Uchiha and not one to back down from a challenge initiated by Naruto, I got a free piggy back ride straight to the grounds.

Which, by the way, were incredibly far out and very. dry.

The landscape was a barren rocky cliff. Sasuke stopped and I hopped off him at Kakashi's signal.

"This is where we'll be training and camping," Kakashi said.

"What will we be training for?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi cocked his head. "Speed. Definitely speed. I have two sets of weights you two can wear around your ankles for the training period. They're yours to keep, I suppose. Not like I can get a refund for them, anyway."

"What else?" I asked curiously.

"Well. I'll be training Sasuke for the Chidori."

A gleam took to Sasuke's eyes. We all knew what the Chidori was, what it could do. I wasn't so high headed that I wouldn't admit I was a bit jealous, but my jealousy didn't last long, as it never did when it concerned Naruto, Sasuke or Ino (and occasionally Tenten, Shikamaru and Chōji). It almost seemed as though that whenever _they_ were praised or had done well, that _I_ was praised and had done well. I suppose you could say I was living through them in that manner, or perhaps I was proud of them. Either reason worked for me.

"What about Nao?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi hesitated. "I'm not sure. I don't have a lot of jutsu in my arsenal that don't require heavy chakra and even though Jiraiya-sama sealed the mark."

I bit my lip. "Kakashi-sensei, you made the Chidori, right?"

"That's right. Chidori is completely original," Kakashi said.

"Then," I said slowly, "can you help me make my _own_ jutsu?"

Kakashi's eye crinkled and Sasuke gave me a smirk.

"I don't see why not," Kakashi said.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Each village has their own specialty," Kakashi began, "The Village of the Sand specializes in poisons and puppeteering, Mist specializes in kenjutsu and assassinations, Cloud specializes in lightning jutsus and speed, Rock specializes in explosives and earth jutsus while the Village Hidden in the Leaves specializes in-"

"Dōjutsu," Sasuke muttered.

Kakashi snorted.

Sasuke shrugged. "We might as well. Or kekkei genkais."

Kakashi gave a slow nod. "I suppose you could look at it in that manner. The point I was trying to make, however, is that each village has a certain style to it and excels in different areas. It's why you don't ever see puppeteers in the Leaf, or kenjutsu users in Iwagakure. It's not unheard of for a few special shinobi to go ahead and specialize in areas their village aren't known for —as we have our own kenjutsu users, though they aren't renowned like the Seven Swordsmen— but it's _rare_. When you create a jutsu, you have to keep in mind in where it would fit. It would be best if you created a jutsu to compliment your village's style, as not only would that increase the chances you could pass it on to your own student, but you could also have assistance in creating it from your fellow shinobi."

"Pass it on?" Sasuke echoed.

"The Will of Fire," I murmured, realization dawning on me.

"Exactly. I took a risk in creating the Chidori, as I did not (at the moment) excel in lightning based attacks, nor was I trained in assassination techniques. It would have been entirely impossible, had I not received the Sharingan. I lucked out in that area, and that's why you need to be sure to base _your_ move in something that you _know_ you can do. Don't try and make the impossible possible. That only rarely happens, and usually when it does, it happens in a way you don't want it to," Kakashi finished quietly.

"I see," was all I said, contemplating his information. "The majority of my clan is either lightning natured, or water natured, and there are a fair few who share both affinities. More than likely, one or both of those are my natures as well."

"It would make sense, yes," Kakashi agreed.

"I." I hesitated. "I am quite proficient with a katana, scythe and dual daggers. At least, that's what Tenten-sempai informs me. I am not a rising prodigy in either, but I seem more comfortable using them, so I believe I would like my jutsu to take one of those shapes."

I fell into silence, thinking carefully.

Chakra natures were a funny thing.

Chakra, in all actuality, didn't _have_ a nature. What we would refer to as 'earth-natured chakra' wasn't really chakra made from earth. The same applied for _all_ of the elements. It was why lightning dominated earth, even if actual lightning would be grounded by actual earth (and thus prove useless). It wasn't _earth_ and _lightning_ in the chakra. It was how the molecules were formed and reacted with one another.

Take earth type, for example. It wasn't actual dirt or earth, but rather chakra that was highly dense and closely packed together; sluggish almost. The reason earth-natured chakra users could influence the actual earth itself, was because of the similarities in their molecular structures. That was it. Lightning, on the other hand was sharp and _fast_. It pierced through everything in one single, fluid motion. When earth and lightning met, it was immovable object meeting unstoppable force, the force actually winning, though. The lightning-natured chakra pierces through the 'earth', shattering its form and completely changing it.

The reason we conceived earth-natured chakra as _dirt_ and _ground_ , was because mentally, _dirt_ and _ground_ were the closest things we could use to describe them. More on the mental limitations, though, later.

Chakra didn't even have set properties (the only thing set for each nature was the molecular structure, but that was _it)._ It didn't have a set temperature, it didn't have a set reaction to every single thing. In theory, you could make _hot_ ice with chakra. Something completely impossible in the natural world, but as chakra did not follow the laws of it, completely possible with it.

Granted, it would be more difficult. While chakra did not have laws to it, the human mind _did_ (this is why earth-natured chakra was _dirt_ and _ground_ ). Chakra could, potentially, be formed into _anything_. However, it could only do so, so long as the user perceived it to be that way. To be able to manipulate chakra fully, not only did you need an innate ability, but every inch of your mind must agree with what you were creating. It was one of the reasons why creating new jutsus was so difficult; what you wanted to happen, you may not believe would happen and thus you could not make it happen. It was _that_ reason that you didn't see a lot of hot ice users, or cold lava users.

The human mind perceives things as either _this_ way or _that_ way. Normally, that was created by what we saw in nature, and so when an ice-user creates ice, they knew that natural ice was cold and thus their own ice was cold.

It was an interesting bias.

And I wanted to—and intended to—abuse it.

I knew, consciously, I _knew_ I could do something different. Subconsciously, however. Even if I could block away what I perceived to be a natural occurrence (and thus forcing my chakra to mold in that manner), I would still reject it to some extent.

What I wanted, and what I had in mind.

Well.

I knew Kakashi said to never try and make the impossible possible, but—

I'll be damned if I didn't at least _try_.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I breathed out a small sigh, flexing my numb hand and staring at the pile of rubble.

I smiled.

Kakashi gave a chuckle from behind me, placing a hand on top of my head. "Well done, Nao-chan. It certainly is _powerful_ , but you definitely lack control."

My smile took a more sheepish edge as I stared at the numerous craters and piles of rubble in the clearing. "Yeah."

"It'll be interesting to see how far you can go with that," Kakashi murmured.

I flexed my hand again, holding it up before my face in a fist.

I had a feeling I would go pretty far.

I clenched my fist tightly.

After all, never before had I felt so _strong._

(Maybe I was strong _enough,_ now?)

(No, no, who was I kidding?)

(You can never be strong _enough)_

_(But I will never stop trying)_

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Answer** : Live action? Bones. Animated? Teen Titans will forever hold a spot in my heart. A choice between the two? Teen Titans. :3 I would choose Doctor Who over Bones, but then they got rid of David Tennant, so. D: I'm sure I'll start picking up on the series when I finish Bones, but until then.
> 
>  **Question:** Biggest plot-hole in Naruto that you can think of? Or at least that one plot-hole that bugs you the most.


	15. Arc V - Behind

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

"We're going to be late," I told Kakashi as the three of us sped away from what was once our training ground for the month towards the village.

"Probably," Kakashi said, "but I'm not worried. They'll hold off the matches for Sasuke. It pays to have an Uchiha with you to use as an excuse."

"So glad I could be of assistance," Sasuke said dryly from the other side of Kakashi.

Kakashi only shrugged.

I bit my lip and continued on, my mind reeling from the thought of the exams, as well as from my month long training session with Kakashi.

To say it was eventful and _painful_ would be an understatement. In the morning, Kakashi would put us through a series of exhausting drills to improve our speed and agility and he would continue to do so until we were nearly ready to drop dead. Of course, we never dropped _dead,_ but we certainly dropped. After a brief —emphasis on _brief_ — break, we would move onto jutsu training.

I had discovered I had lightning and water affinities and Sasuke had fire and lightning. While Kakashi worked with Sasuke on the Chidori, I fumbled clumsily with my own jutsu.

I had one in mind, but dear, sweet Ramen King, I _sucked_.

In theory I was to push my chakra into the air and condense it into water. The water would be manipulated into a sword or a single long blade with no hilt or handle. I would then mix my lightning chakra on with a twist. Instead of crackling, like the Chidori, and being extremely _hot_ , I would condense and _freeze_ it with my water.

I was abusing the neutral properties of chakra, trying to push the limits of the boundaries to the natural world. It was. hard. I had taken advantage of my Yamanaka roots and placed several blocks in my subconscious to help me perceive lightning as something _cold_ and not _hot_. There was still, however, a general wrongness to it that I couldn't shake or block. I could change my chakra into its aquatic form, but it would not take the form of a sword. It seemed to like drooping down into the form of a whip (but it was too short to actually be a whip). Adding lightning in the mix didn't hinder or improve the form and when I attempted to change it from _hot_ to _cold._

Well.

There was exploding.

The painful part.

I could hold my jutsu for about thirty seconds before it exploded in my face, freezing cold and leaving me mostly numb for the majority of the day. It wasn't lethal (Kakashi made sure to emphasize on using my chakra in a very mild manner, as what I was doing was rather risky), but it was still _annoying_.

To say I was cranky and very displeased would have been an understatement.

However, I'd be damned if gave up and let that mocking jutsu win.

Still feeling a twinge of annoyance, I pushed more chakra into my feet and sped up.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Barely, apparently, we had made it in time. Kakashi and Sasuke appeared in a swirl of leaves in the center of the arena, while I appeared next to Naruto. He gave me a grin and slung an arm around my shoulders. While the proctor scolded Kakashi for his tardiness, Naruto filled me in on everything that had happened.

He had won his fight with Neji (naturally). Shikamaru forfeited after fighting with Temari for _hours_ , Kankurō forfeited before he and Shino even fought, and now they had been waiting for Sasuke to show up. When he was done and Sasuke began his fight with Gaara, I filled Naruto in on what had transpired during my training.

He listened intently with keen interest upon describing my new jutsu.

"This view sucks," Naruto said at the end of my story and we lapsed into silence and watched Sasuke fight Gaara.

I had to agree. We were so close to the actual arena that every time dust kicked up our entire view was obscured.

"We can go find Kakashi-sensei and sit with him," I suggested then turned to Shikamaru. "Nii-chan, you want to come along, too?"

"You'd get lost if I didn't," Shikamaru sighed.

I smiled and Naruto only grinned.

We both knew he was right.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Feathers," I murmured, staring up at the white things that fell silently over the arena. Suspicion clawed at me as I noticed more than one civilian had fallen asleep when the feathers had begun to fall. Moving my hand up, I let out a burst of chakra, repelling the apparent genjutsu. The feathers dispelled.

Naruto and Shikamaru mimicked my action, all of us frowning.

Kakashi's eye narrowed, still staring at where Sasuke had left in quick pursuit of Gaara.

He turned to us. "We don't have a lot of time. A genjutsu this widely placed can only mean one thing: invasion. While normally I would have you stay here and help, I don't trust Sasuke to play it cool against Gaara. You three need to go after him."

"Aw man," Shikamaru muttered. "I knew I should have stayed down there. Maybe I would have gotten a free nap out of it."

"We would have still found you," Naruto told him. "We're that spiteful."

Shikamaru gave a sort of groan and sighed.

Kakashi bit into his thumb before moving his hands quickly. He slammed his right hand into the ground, summoning up a familiar dog.

"Pakkun-san," I said, blinking in surprise. I had only met the dog once or twice when he had come to deliver a message for Kakashi.

"Nao-chan," Pakkun said. "Kakashi, what's going on?"

"I need you to take these three and go after Sasuke. Make sure they bring him back. We'll need all the help we can get if this really is an invasion."

"No problem. Alright brats—and Nao-chan—let's go."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"We're being followed," Pakkun said, his eyes narrowed in mild frustration as he led us through the the Leaf forest.

"How many?" Shikamaru asked, a frown marring his face.

"Nine... no... ten. The other one is further back," Pakkun replied after sniffing the air.

"Level?" Naruto inquired.

"Chūnin or Jōnin."

The three of us traveled in silence.

"Can we outrun them?" I asked hesitantly.

"No."

Subdued silence fell upon us and I furrowed my brow. My stomach knotted as I carefully calculated multiple scenarios. After mulling it over for a bit, I spoke up.

"I'll stay behind and ambush them," I said.

"No," Naruto disagreed immediately.

Shikamaru's eyes closed. "She's the only one of us with full chakra reserves and no injuries."

"No," Naruto said again.

"Naruto-kun," I murmured. "I'll be fine. I have a plan. Trust me, okay?"

Naruto hesitated. My stomach flip flopped with nerves, but I shoved aside my nervousness. These people were nothing like _that man_. I had a good chance of taking them if my plan worked. I had all the things necessary for it _to_ work.

"Fine," Naruto muttered. "If you die, I'm resurrecting you somehow to kick your ass."

I smiled. "Deal."

I stopped on a tree branch and my two brothers carried on, Pakkun leading them away. I dropped down to the forest floor, rummaging through my pocket before procuring a small scroll. I moved carefully and set the scroll a little ways from me, hiding it effectively and unrolling it slightly.

It was a storage scroll. At my specific burst of chakra from within a .15 mile radius (roughly .240 kilometers), it would activate. Water would flow out of it discreetly and cover an area as large as the arena. It was a scroll Kakashi had given me to use in my final round. While my jutsu wasn't perfect, I could still manipulate my chakra into electricity. He had hoped that I would avoid using my jutsu (and thus hurting myself) and rely on the scroll, as well as my lightning chakra.

I stepped away from the scroll, backing up to a tree and falling on my butt. I pushed chakra into my back and slightly lifted myself up the ground before sticking myself to the tree. Low enough no one would notice I wasn't touching the ground, but high enough so I wasn't actually touching.

Next, I flexed my foot experimentally before bending it at an odd angle.

I suppose it paid to be double jointed.

I stared at my foot that appeared to be broken and shuddered.

Still creeped the hell out of me, though.

I placed my hands around my ankle and bit my lip, creasing my brow. I widened my eyes and attempted to look very much like a scared little rabbit.

It did not take long for our pursuers to reach me.

Dressed in dark grey clothing that covered every part of their body—with the exception of their eyes—they landed in the clearing, their backs turned to the scroll and facing me.

My eyes widened and I gave a pitiful whimper.

"Please don't hurt me," I said, releasing a subtle burst of chakra. Already, thick, slow water poured out of the scroll and inched towards them.

"Sorry, girlie," one of them sneered. "It's nothing personal, but you know how it is."

My eyes widened and I thought if they were any larger, they might pop out of my head. "Oh please, no."

The water had reached nearly half of them, and they never noticed. I suppose that's what they get for wearing footwear that actually thoroughly covered your foot and calf. They had no way to feel what was happening right underneath their feet.

He took a step forward, and a small splat was heard. Curious he, along with the others, looked down to find themselves standing in a large area of water.

I let out a slow breath, pushing my chakra and molding it. It took the form of a slack whip, the water dangling from it. Light glowed brightly from it and a sort of low _hum_ came from it. Nothing like the sharp crackling of the Chidori. It was soft, deep and almost lulling.

My whip sagged and already, I could feel the unsteady rhythm it took. I had only a second to act, and I used it.

I flicked my jutsu towards them, towards the water and prayed to whoever was listening that it wouldn't explode.

It would seem no one was listening, or I was very much disliked.

The jutsu exploded, but it made no sound. Light enveloped me and a searing coldness burned through me. The coldness traveled up through my arm along with sharp prickling pain, followed by numbness. My concentration was lost and I fell to the electricity filled water, my eyes widening at the sheer power that coursed through me. Vaguely and almost deafly, I could hear the other shinobi screaming.

The sensation passed and I struggled to breathe for a moment, shaking violently. A feeling I had become acquainted with during the past month, but I had been in the water for a second and they so much longer. I only got the last bit of the explosion, thankfully.

I stared, bleary-eyed, at the nine bodies lying in a giant water puddle.

I shuddered, staring more closely at them. I could not stop the shiver that crawled up my spine as I realized they were not breathing.

A moment passed as I awaited for the horror of what I had done to settle in over me.

But that moment passed and no horror came with it. Only resignation.

( _In the time before, that would have been bad, bad, bad.)_

I wondered if there was something wrong with me.

The thought was fleeting as it could not have lasted long. For it was at the end of that moment that I realized there were _nine_ corpses. There were supposed to be _ten_ pursuers. Either one slipped by me or one would be showing up very soon.

And here I was, shaking uncontrollably. I glanced at my right arm, the arm I used the whip with. It was shaking even worse and I had no feeling in it. I winced, recalling the first time this had happened and I panicked. Kakashi assured me his Chidori caused similar effects when he first tried testing it out. It was one of the downsides to creating lightning jutsus.

I was virtually a free target.

The thought did not bring fear into me, as it normally would have. I suspected my body was too tired to bother with stirring up such emotions, so I only sat there and hoped the effects would wear off before they got there.

No such luck.

The tenth pursuer landed before me, his eyes narrowed into furious slits.

Before I could even blink though, a familiar Jōnin kicked him in the head as he landed on top of him.

The Jōnin grinned at me.

"Hi, Asuma-sensei," I greeted my sister's sensei.

Asuma chuckled. "I'm on time, it seems. I saw your light, ah, thing. Nearly lit up the entire forest and came as quick as I could. Glad to see I wasn't too late."

"I am, too," I told him sincerely.

"What's wrong with your arm?" Asuma asked.

"Oh," I said. "I'm making a new jutsu and it went wrong."

Asuma winced sympathetically. "Can you use it?"

I looked at it, frowning thoughtfully. "Not for a few more hours."

"Then we better get you to the hospital," Asuma said. "You're going to be useless in this invasion if you can't even fight."

I inwardly winced at the word _useless,_ but let it slide. He was right and I knew it. I was cocky in thinking I could use my new jutsu when I _knew_ it wouldn't work. I should have gone with Kakashi's original intentions, but I was foolish. Now I was paying the price.

Oh well. At least it wasn't a lethal price.

This time.

I frowned as Asuma stooped down and helped me up. I took his offered hand with my left hand and kicked off into the trees.

It would appear I hadn't developed enough to take Kakashi's first criticism very well. He warned me ignorance and arrogance lead to many deaths of good shinobi and kunoichi and there I was displaying such things again.

For a mature mind, I was certainly a bit of an inner narcissist. Or perhaps I was being bratty? Perhaps some childish part of me wanted desperately to make my own jutsu and for it to _work_ , so I could not only prove to myself that I could do it. But I could prove to Ka—

"Naruto-kun and Nii-chan went ahead of me to bring Sasuke back," I told Asuma as we moved.

Asuma frowned. "They're on their own. I need to get back to fighting off the invasion. I only came out here to make sure your light thing wasn't some sort of surprise weapon from Orochimaru; he already summoned snakes in the village."

I looked over at the village and noticed there were indeed giant snakes.

I frowned as I took a closer look.

"Are they—are they wearing _bibs_?" I asked incredulously.

"They are."

"Are they _eating people_?"

"They're trying to."

"Someone has a sick sense of humor."

" _Everyone_ has a sick sense of humor," Asuma corrected.

Touché.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Answer:** How in the hell did Kakashi become a Chuunin at age six. And then again at the same age as Rin?
> 
>  **Question:** Scariest animal (not bug) to you, and why?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	16. Arc VI - Hate

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

The invasion was over and the funeral was ready.

The three of us, dressed in all black, walked quietly through the dark streets of the Leaf. Naruto and Sasuke still sported bruises and scratches from their tag battle against Gaara, but both of them bore their wounds proudly. To them, it was like coming home with a war trophy (I was simply thankful there was a home to come back to).

My hands were tucked in theirs and somehow, they felt so small. As the small family we were, we moved through the streets silently, arriving at the funeral.

My other family was all in black and stood next to Chōji's and Shikamaru's. Other shinobi and kunoichi of all sorts were lined up in rows. Quietly, the three of us joined in a single row, staring blankly towards the front as some old man read off memorized lines.

I paid him no heed, staring down at our hands.

It was at a moment like this that I remembered how small I was compared to my friends. I was so used to being on equal grounds with them, but really, I was only a small child to them. My right hand was wrapped in gauze with special ointment applied to it. The nurse was a little confused as to how I got _frostbite_ from lightning, but I didn't feel the need to explain and she didn't feel the need to ask further.

I looked up at the dark sky, the clouds looming above us. I looked back down at the pictures, the many rows of them that had lined up so neatly on the covered tables.

Many more lives were lost. Another stone would have to be made.

I closed my eyes and thought of Naomi; the girl who had saved my mother, who not once had I met, but indirectly allowed me to live. I thought of her and how all these other people would be like her. I thought of how all these shinobi and kunoichi sacrificed themselves to save their own loved ones and, in the process, might have allowed a new life to bloom.

I felt a strong sense of gratitude for them, along with a mixture of sadness.

I wondered when the time came, would I be joining them in such a way? Would I be able to sacrifice my own life for the safety of others?

It seemed like a very worthy death.

( _But shouldn't I be with them already? Did I not deserve to rest? Was my failure. was my failure too much?)_

As rain began to drizzle down from the sky, falling over us, I felt a small frown tug at my lips.

I looked at Sasuke and Naruto, my friends and, in some way, family.

I paused. No. Not quite. We were missing someone.

My eyes scanned the area, not finding that someone. I felt my frown deepen.

When it came time for us to go home, I told them I would return shortly and to not wait up.

I headed away from home, my destination set in my mind.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

As I thought.

He stood in front of the memorial stone, not minding the pouring rain that pelted down on him or the freezing wind that blew it. He stared at it, lost in his own thoughts and no hint of light in his eye. Dressed in all black, his clothes clung to his skin, showing how soaked he was.

I moved quietly before I reached out and took his freezing hand.

He looked up at me, away from the stone. Flat black eyes met with warm pale blue ones.

I smiled at him and tugged him lightly.

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei," I said. "Let's go home."

He stared at me another moment as life slowly returned to his eye. He squeezed my hand.

"Maa. Alright."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"So Naruto already left with Jiraiya," Kakashi murmured. Not even a day after the funeral was Naruto whisked away by the seal master, off on some quest. I remembered how he came barreling into our home, excited about learning a new jutsu. I remembered Sasuke commenting it was about time he learned _something_. Naruto waved him off, too excited for his journey. All of that transpired that very morning.

Now, Kakashi and I were wandering the streets of the Leaf, intent on finding lunch for ourselves before we tracked down Sasuke and Kakashi trained the two of us.

Along the path, Kakashi paused in front of a tea shop, his eye narrowing slightly as he scanned the people inside. My eyes followed his gaze, stopping short at one very strange figure and one _very_ familiar one.

Black cloaks with red clouds.

I'd seen that before.

I'd seen it before, hadn't I?

No. that couldn't be right.

"Here?" I asked softly, almost absently, my brow furrowed in concentration as I tried to recall where I had seen the cloaks before.

"Mn," Kakashi hummed. "I'm not sure. You still have a bit of a sweet tooth, though, don't you, Nao?"

"A-Ah, yes," I answered distractedly, a frown tugging on my lips.

Where had I seen those cloaks before?

Kakashi eyed me a heartbeat before his gaze swung away from me, towards something out of my peripheral vision. "Well. You two certainly seem to be getting along well."

I tore my gaze away from the curious cloaks and looked to find Asuma and Kurenai heading towards us. At his words, Kurenai blushed lightly and looked away. "Idiot. Anko asked me to pick up some rice dumplings for her."

"What are you doing here?" Asuma asked curiously, his eyes falling on me.

"Nao and I decided to grab some lunch before Sasuke joined us," Kakashi explained easily, his eye fell towards the cloaked strangers, narrowing.

Slightly alarmed at the subtle signal he had given, I followed Asuma's and Kurenai's intent gazes back towards the cloaked figures, though the Jōnin carried on the conversation as if everything was perfectly normal.

"Well, it's not like you to be waiting for someone," Asuma said smoothly.

Before Kakashi could reply though, Sasuke appeared next to us. His arm brushed across my own and I looked up, startled.

"Nao managed to drag you away from your sulking for lunch so soon?" Sasuke asked, a single eyebrow quirking up.

"I was _not_ sulking," Kakashi muttered. "Mourning and sulking are two entirely different things."

Sasuke's lips quirked into a smirk. I would have laughed at Kakashi's indignation, but I found myself too distracted by the cloaks. They were on the tip of my tongue—

I blinked as my gaze swung back to them and away from Sasuke, but I found them gone.

What?

Sasuke followed my gaze and frowned. "You know I don't have a sweet tooth, Nao."

"But _I_ do," I murmured. "And you said I could choose."

Sasuke sighed.

"You don't?" Kakashi inquired, his eyes locking with Asuma and Kurenai. He gave a small nod and the two of them flickered away. I frowned at this, exchanging curious looks with Sasuke. "Actually. why don't you two go ahead and order something? I'll be back."

As Kakashi flickered away, my brow furrowed. "Sasuke-kun. I, um. I have to go check something. Order me some sweet tea with sweet dumplings, please and thank you?"

"Sure, but—"

I turned on my heel and chased after Kakashi.

Somehow, I got the nagging feeling if I followed him, I would find those cloaks again.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I perched on a single tree branch, staring down in horror at Itachi and a strange yet so _darn_ familiar shark man as they battled Asuma and Kurenai. I had masked my chakra to the best of my ability, I would assume so long as no one was looking for me specifically, I would be alright.

The blue man grinned anxiously at Asuma, a massive peculiar sword in his grasp. Itachi stared down dispassionately at Kurenai, who kneeled before him in the water, glaring at him hatefully.

"You live up to your reputation," Itachi said softly, "but."

"But this is it for you," Kakashi said as he landed behind Itachi.

The shark man lurched forward, swinging his blade dangerously quickly at Asuma. Asuma leapt back, making a few attacks of his own, but they were both moving too fast for me to really tell. The shark man leaped away from Asuma, a slight glare on his face and his hands moved quickly —faster than what I would have considered _possible_.

The water from the canal shifted and bubbled and two serpents dove out of it as Kakashi mimicked and copied the man's move.

It was all so, so... (familiar)

I'd seen this.

I knew I had!

The serpents collided and my face screwed up in concentration, momentarily forgetting the battle.

I had seen this.

_Where had I seen this?!_

"Hatake. Kakashi."

Itachi's voice pulled me back from my growing frantic thoughts as he almost glared at Kakashi. Almost, of course, because Itachi seemed adamant about remaining indifferent and apathetic to everything.

I had seen this before. I had seen this before. How, how, how?

_Past life, perhaps?_

How could I have possibly known about something that was happening now —in the present— before it was going to happen? That was not possible. That was illogical and irrational, yet. yet.

My gut seemed to demand of me to admit the very unlikely possibility. That somehow I had known the future and forgotten it.

But that wasn't quite it. I was merely saying I was _familiar_ with this. That doesn't mean—I don't know—I just—

"You two! Don't look into his eyes!"

My head jerked up at Kakashi's frantic order and locked onto the eyes of Itachi.

_And it all rushed back._

_Susano'oAmaterasuSharinganRinnegan._

Heart in throat, I lurched away from my tree branch, dive bombing towards the three of them. Kurenai and Asuma immediately closed their eyes and Kakashi continued his order. "Don't open your eyes. If you see his eyes right now, you're dead."

I landed behind Kakashi and he immediately tensed, but did not turn at my familiar chakra presence. Itachi's eyes slid over, but I was already in motion. I raised my leg and jammed my foot into Kakashi's knees.

He gave a strangled shout and fell backwards.

I pushed my chakra, already molding it into that stupid jutsu that wouldn't work for me. I threw it up in the air and it exploded with a loud, and _bright,_ spark.

I looked at Itachi's forehead, not daring to meet his eyes. "An explosion that big will have the ANBU here in minutes. Leave. Please. Itachi-san."

His gaze fell on me and sure enough, I could already feel the sharp rise of chakra levels, mostly Jōnin, curious for the explosion. A few were heading towards us.

"An entire squad of ANBU would be more troublesome to face than this mission is worth," Itachi said quietly. "Kisame, I believe it is best to move on."

"Pity. But alright, Itachi-san."

My eyes trailed down and I stared into the regular Sharingan eyes of Itachi.

"He doesn't hate you," I whispered quietly.

Itachi's eyes flashed, but he did not make any other sign that he heard me. Faster than my eyes could follow —he was gone.

I looked down at the furious gaze of Kakashi.

"What. Did. You. Think. You. Were. Doing?" Kakashi hissed as he stood up. Kurenai and Asuma opened their eyes, deciding that the threat was gone, and stared at me in mild shock and curiosity.

"No time," I whispered, slightly frantic. Panic was already bubbling in my chest and I grabbed Kakashi's hand, pulling him roughly away. "Naru. We have to find Naru! Please, please, Kakashi! Yell at me later, but Naru needs me now!"

_JūbiKuramaNarutoAkatsukiAkatsukiAkatsuki_

Perhaps it was the panic in my eyes, the frantic tone in my voice, or the pleading look on my face. Perhaps it was all three; I didn't know and didn't care. At that moment, Kakashi gave me a slow nod and I shot him the most grateful look I could muster before I turned tail and sprinted full speed towards Naruto.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I ran down the hallway, ducking around the corner and stopping short of the door the lady at the front desk had given me. I pounded frantically on it, but Kakashi stopped me, placing a firm hand on my shoulder.

I was shaking. Not much, but enough to be noticeable. I was terrified. What if it was different this time? What if they got Naruto this time around because I had interfered and the battle wasn't as long? What if they _already_ had him? What if?

The door opened, revealing a very disgruntled Naruto and relief crashed on me. I lurched away from Kakashi's grasp, threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Naruto, clearly caught off guard, looked up at Kakashi with a questioning gaze.

Kakashi didn't bother answering his unspoken question, but even he seemed a bit relieved as well. Naruto frowned, but returned my hug slightly.

I pulled back. "We have to go. _Now_."

"What?" Naruto blinked.

"Questions later, Naruto," Kakashi said brusquely.

"Out the window," I said, tugging Naruto away from the door. "We have to find Jiraiya. I can't _believe he left you here alone!_ "

My voice had raised to a near shriek of annoyance. Kakashi didn't bother to tell me to lower my voice. I could tell he was a little annoyed by it as well.

"Would someone _please_ explain to me what is going on?" Naruto asked as I pulled him to the window. I still didn't answer, focused on opening the stupid _jammed_ window. In the end, I growled with frustration and kicked it open. I then hopped out of it, onto the roof right below it.

Naruto gave me an odd look, but followed me down, with Kakashi right behind us.

"Where's Jiraiya?" I asked immediately.

"I don't know—with some lady—"

"Kakashi-sensei," I interrupted. "Can you find him?"

"My nose might not be as sharp as Pakkun's, but I know enough," Kakashi said, already scanning the crowd. "I found him. Let's go."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

The moment Naruto was back with Jiraiya, I felt such an insane amount of relief, I literally dropped to the ground, not really caring how odd it must have looked. The sheer relief of knowing he was safe again was enough.

This lasted about a minute before I felt a frown tug down at my lips.

Why was I relieved again?

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"So," Kakashi drawled as we slowly headed back to town. "I must say, I wasn't expecting this afternoon to be so busy."

"I wasn't either," I admitted. "I—"

"Kakashi, my Eternal Rival!" Gai —a man in all green spandex, like a grown up version of. Lee— landed before us and gave us a very odd pose. "I finally found you! But alas, I have the most unyouthful news."

"What is it, Gai?" Kakashi asked dryly, clearly not really in the mood for him.

"It's your student, the Uchiha—"

"Sasuke-kun?" I interrupted, panic bubbling inside me once again.

Gai nodded. "It seems Itachi attacked him almost an hour ago. We have him in the hospital, but it looks rough. He's been placed in a difficult genjutsu."

"Why?" I demanded immediately. "They wanted Naruto—not—not—"

"Witnesses say Itachi told him he didn't have enough hate."

My entire body froze.

_"He doesn't hate you."_

_He doesn't hate you._

_He doesn't hate you._

My hands flew up to my mouth and my face twisted in horror. Kakashi's eyes flew to mine as realization dawned on his face. My knees seemed to turn to mush and my stomach heaved dangerously. Heart constricting, I fell down to my knees.

Gai appeared horrified by my action, and most surprised. Kakashi fell down beside me, arms immediately wrapping around me to keep me from falling flat on my face.

Could I?

_He doesn't hate you..._

Could I have, perhaps?

_He doesn't hate you._

Did I. Did I sentence (my) Sasuke to this fate?

_He doesn't hate you._

Was I the one to blame?

_He doesn't hate you._

_But_

_He_

_Might_

_Hate_

_Me._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**


	17. Arc VII - Train

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

I stared blankly at the corpse-like body of Sasuke. Although his chest moved up and down to show he was breathing, there was no other sign of life from him. My legs were curled up, my knees tucked in and I rested my chin atop them. Even my hoodie couldn't seem to provide much comfort for me at the moment.

The door to the room slid open, but I paid it no attention. Most likely another nurse—

"It's been three days."

Or perhaps not.

I blinked slowly, tearing my gaze away from Sasuke and towards Kakashi, who was eyeing me carefully.

"And?" I asked softly.

"Enough moping," he said flatly. "Naruto and Jiraiya _will_ bring back Tsunade and he _will_ be cured. Jiraiya sent back the letter and he tells me Naruto is most anxious to find her now."

A small wave of relief fell over me and I gave a small smile. "That's wonderful."

Kakashi nodded slowly. "It is. Now enough moping. We're training. Now."

I blinked up in surprise, both at the commanding tone in his voice and at the abruptness. "In what?"

"Two things," Kakashi said, holding up a single finger. "Well, three technically. One, we will be working on your jutsu. Two, we will begin —or well, _you_ will begin— the study of Fūinjutsu. Naruto wanted Jiraiya to pass on that reminder to you, and three, once a week, you will continue your clan training with Inoichi."

I gave a small nod. "... Alright. Where do we begin?"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I sat across from Papa, sipping on the juice Momma had given me after our training lesson. Ino and her team were currently out on a C-Ranked mission that caused temporary leave of the village, leaving the house unnaturally quiet without her.

"So," Papa said, "how's training with Kakashi going?"

I winced, unknowingly clutching my bandaged arm. "Annoying. Creating a stabilizer to keep the chakra at the temperature I want is much easier said than done."

Papa nodded sympathetically. "I actually meant the sealing training."

"Oh... headache inducing. I get the theory behind it and such, but it's just... tiring. I'm sure it'll click one day and become much easier, but for the moment, it kind of seems impossible."

Papa chuckled, though only for a moment before his face and tone became more somber. "You shouldn't have to master it in the first place."

My hand crept up to my neck where the Curse Mark was. Memories flashed through my head —Falling to the ground—Sasuke in need—Panic—Hysteria—A black hole—

I paused at that last memory. While it was true that I had not reflected much on that time —mostly because I truly did not want to— I could not deny something strange had happened. I looked up at Papa and hesitated.

"Papa," I began, feeling suddenly unsure, "is it possible for me to have... more than one ability?"

"What do you mean?" Papa asked.

I hesitated again before I described the strange memory.

Papa frowned, listening intently. When I was done, his frown had deepened. "We've already discussed this, kitten. One with your. ability always develops a second one. In normal cases, it doesn't manifest until late teens, but. Well, I suppose you've simply uncovered your final ability to your. special kekkei genkai."

"Normal cases? So then. why did mine manifest now? Am—Am I really so different from the clan? What exactly. _why_ exactly did it manifest in such a way?" I inquired.

Papa gave a small smile. "In theory, human capabilities are only limited to our imagination and desperation, but that's only in theory. It can be rumored that kekkei genkais were created, not because it was a mishap in genes, but because it was a necessity. They say that you only see a shinobi's true potential with his own life on the line."

"A morbid theory," I muttered.

"This is a morbid world," Papa said.

No truer words have been spoken before.

"I suspect your ability—this— _black hole—_ which you will be the first in our clan to use— manifested itself because you needed it the most at that moment. That's only a guess, as none of this can be proven. I'm not sure how to assist you in training with this hole, but I can discuss it with the Elders and I'm sure we can think of something."

I nodded at his words, accepting them. "So then. I remember. when you first told me of my first ability, you mentioned a second one manifesting, but that it would fade away with time?"

"Correct. On average you will keep it for a few years, and when it reaches its highest potential, it will begin to rapidly decline in both power and use until it is gone completely."

"Why is that?"

Papa gave a small shrug. "Our main theory is that it's because our brains were not suited to hold the _first_ unique ability. That it holds _two_ completely separate abilities that it was not genetically designed to, more than likely places a strain on it. It's why you receive a headache every time you use the first of your abilities, your brain —despite the mutation— was not made to use such power."

"I wasn't in pain when I used the. hole."

"You were in a state of panic. I doubt you would have noticed."

I nodded at his words, but I couldn't quite agree with them.

No. No. I did not feel pain when I used the black hole. What I felt. What I felt was something my gut told me was much worse.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Slowly but surely, a routine took its place in the course of little over a month. In the mornings until lunch, I would train with Kakashi, specifically on my new jutsu and worked on stabilizing it. Apparently, the reason it was a whip and not a sword was the same reason it exploded within seconds of its creation, _and_ why I couldn't control the temperature very well. It needed something to help stabilize itself and lock the two elements together perfectly and completely dominate its foreign structure and intentions. Which really was even harder than it already seemed to be. I couldn't tell you the number of times I would lose usage of one of my arms for the remainder of the day.

In the afternoons to early evenings, I would study Fūinjutsu in the library. Kakashi was only there to make sure I stayed on focus and to help me muddle through some of it. Mind you, Kakashi wasn't much of a help as he never trained in sealing except the bare minimum of explosive tags and such, but his more alert and intelligent mind than my own seemed to better grasp and explain the problems to me than the scrolls ever did.

In the week day evenings, I would sit with Sasuke in the hospital, and Kakashi would run off and brood about Obito.

Sorry, _mourn_.

Weekend evenings, I would train with Papa and attempt to recreate the same black hole as I had made in the forest.

No such luck.

But I wasn't too concerned about it. I had enough on my plate, thank you very much.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When Naruto returned, it was with a busty blonde who claimed to be Tsunade. Imagine my surprise one evening, after I finished eating dinner and nearly dozed off at Sasuke's side, when all of a sudden the door flew open and Naruto jumped inside.

He leaped across the room and threw his arms around me in a surprise hug. I could only blink in astonishment before my mind caught up with what was happening. My arms snaked around him and I hugged him tightly in return.

When he pulled back, I noticed the lady —Tsunade— standing at the door frame, looking amused.

"So _you're_ Nao," was all she said.

Feeling a little shy, I felt my cheeks warm and I ducked my head.

"Yes," I mumbled.

"Aw, don't be shy for Tsunade-bāchan," Naruto said with an eye roll. "I'll make sure she doesn't bite you."

"She bites?" I asked incredulously before realizing what I said and flushing.

Tsunade, much to my relief, chuckled good naturedly and entered the room. "So this is the Uchiha?"

"That's him," Naruto confirmed.

"Mmm," Tsunade hummed, striding across the room and placing a hand over his forehead. Her hand flickered a pale green before she retracted it.

Sasuke's brow furrowed and his eyes slowly creaked open.

My eye widened significantly and I jumped from my spot to collide with Sasuke as he was sitting up. He let out a grunt and fell back down on the bed, almost sighing. I buried my nose against him and suddenly I could feel Naruto clamber atop us. I almost chuckled —it seemed forever since we had a group hug like this— but didn't.

Sasuke seemed to struggle a bit beneath us before he freed his arms and patted both of our backs.

"Welcome back, Sasuke-kun," I whispered.

"It's good to be back Nao," he replied.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A month since Naruto returned and my jutsu had finally... well.

Instead of a _whip,_ I get a katana with a floppy end and it exploded after a minute. Sometimes a little less, but on the bright side, I _could_ still use it like a sword. just. for briefs periods of time. that's all.

Anyway, after a month, Sasuke was finally deemed acceptable to rejoin the team and we were all _finally_ headed off on yet another mission that took us outside the village.

Well. It was a B-ranked mission, and from the location and such, we had to switch into different attire. No more comfort hoodie for me —it would have been far too hot.

Instead, I wore a short white t-shirt dress and light blue shorts underneath it. The dress had a hood on it and, in a way, reminded me of my hoodie. I wore the white gloves Kakashi gave me when we first began our training (he explained they were made of special material to minimize the damage done to me by my own chakra, but honestly I couldn't tell the difference. But it was the thought that counted). My _hitai-ate_ was tied around my upper right arm and I was wearing my goggles over my eyes.

Why was I wearing my goggles over my eyes?

Because it was _hot_ and _bright_.

We —Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and I— were walking to where we were supposed to meet our charges in the middle of a _desert_. The goggles, bless Obito, were especially made to deflect the sun's rays and keep my eyes nice and cool. Or at least shaded.

I snuck a peek at Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto wore his usual colors of orange and blue. His orange jumpsuit traded out for cut off orange sweats —they ended above his knees- and a single orange vest. Underneath the vest was a blue shirt. He kept his kunai pouch on his right upper thigh, while mine was hidden underneath my dress on my own upper thigh.

Sasuke wore a breezy dark blue shirt/jacket —it was zippable up the front, but I doubt he was wearing anything underneath (seriously, way too hot)— with the Uchiha crest blazed upon the back. Black shorts accompanied the shirt, and his hands tucked into his pockets.

Kakashi, I had sympathetically noticed, wore nearly the exact same thing. The only difference being that his long sleeves were not shortened to his elbows and his pants fell above his ankles.

"It's hot," Naruto moaned, his feet dragging across the ground.

Too hot to bother nodding my head in agreement, I only grunted in affirmation. Sasuke mimicked my action with a grunt of his own. Kakashi remained quiet, but I had a feeling he wholeheartedly agreed with us.

"At least we're almost to the rendezvous point," I murmured, lifting my head up at the cloudless blue sky.

"Our client is a major VIP, right?" Naruto asked, still dragging his feet.

"That's what Tsunade-sama said," Kakashi answered.

"How much do you want to bet they're narcissistic assholes?" Sasuke grumbled, probably getting a little irritated from the heat.

"Not _every_ VIP is an asshole like you," Naruto retorted. "I'll take that bet."

"I'm glad you admit I'm a VIP."

"That's only because _I'm_ a VIP and anyone associated with _me_ is automatically a VIP!"

"Idiot."

I gave a tired sigh. A few more minutes of walking, and we stopped, noticing a small dot in the distance moving towards us. The closer it came, the more I realized that it was our targets. It was a _giant_ caravan —horse drawn and everything. It was a train of carriages, each packed with junk —I, I mean. _materialistic items_.

My eye widened in surprise and Naruto growled in annoyance, fishing through his pocket and handing Sasuke a small wad of money. Why the money wasn't in his frog purse, I couldn't say.

Kakashi noticed the exchange. "How does that prove they're assholes?"

"Excessive buying almost always means arrogance and arrogance _does_ always mean assholes," Naruto explained. Sasuke gave a smirk.

"You can't argue that," I pointed out as the train drew closer.

As the train of carriages came by us, almost three-fourths of the way down (five entire minutes worth of horses at trotting pace pulling carriages) did the train stop. A single, elaborately decorated carriage stopped before us and its door swung open and an. obese man stepped out.

Or tried to. He struggled a bit, he only barely fitted through the door.

"What is all this stuff?" Naruto mumbled, not noticing the man.

"This is all the stuff I bought!" the man exclaimed happily. "There were so many things that I splurged on while traveling, and before I knew it, I had this much." The man moved to stand in front of us, warm chocolate brown eyes twinkling happily as he smiled. "I'm the prince of the Moon Country, Tsuki Michiru. And you are?"

"We came from the Leaf Village," Kakashi informed him. "I'm the captain, Hatake Kakashi. This is Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto gave a foxy grin at the man.

"Yamanaka Nao."

I felt my cheeks warm slightly, but I gave the seemingly-kind man a smile. He didn't _seem_ like an arrogant person.

"And Uchiha Sasuke."

"Hn."

"We four will be escorting you until you return home," Kakashi said.

"I see. I'll be counting on you, then," Michiru said with yet another kind smile, though his smile became more curious as he stepped towards me. Bending slightly, he seemed to peer at me. "You're pretty cute! Are you really a shinobi, even though you're so cute?"

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged very _not_ amused looks. My smile slipped from my face, becoming more of a grimace.

"She's young, but she's excellent," Kakashi said smoothly.

"Oh? It's nice to meet you," Michiru said, offering his hand.

My smile returned, deciding that he meant no harm. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. At first glance, I probably didn't look like much. I took his large hand and gave it a firm shake. "The pleasure is mine, sir."

He then held my hand, smiling a little less kindly and a little more creepily. Naruto and Sasuke bristled beside me and I gave Michiru a wide smile —like my sister taught me. Then I took the next lesson my sister taught me, and focused chakra into my hand to promptly crush his grip.

He let out not a single sound, but his face twisted up into a pained grimace and he struggled to get away. Only after I allowed himself to nearly break every bone in his hand did I release, still smiling.

Ino had the same problem on her second mission outside the village. She said if it was a charge, we had to smile and hurt them discreetly. She opted digging her nails in the skin during a handshake, but I opted to crush the bones.

Well, not _really_ crush the bones. Then our mission wouldn't go over as smoothly, but.

"And she's quite capable," Kakashi added, seeming to smile mockingly at Michiru.

Beside me, Naruto did his best not to laugh, managing to smother his snickers. Sasuke only gave a taunting smirk at the man.

"I see," Michiru said, clutching his hand to his chest and wincing.

The amusement died down, however, when a suction-tipped arrow landed squarely on Naruto's leaf symbol on his _hitai-ate_. From the force and surprise, he fell back, but was only down for a second before jumping back up and pulling a kunai out and searching frantically for the source.

"You might have died from that now."

Our eyes came towards the source of the sound, falling on a boy who looked no older than me. He was putting away a small wooden bow as he stepped lightly from the carriage and approached us with a sort of regal arrogance.

"Papa, are you sure things will be all right with these guys?" he inquired, not looking at us. "Won't they be useless? Especially that guy."

Naruto bristled, preparing to open his mouth, but Sasuke promptly smacked him over the head. Naruto rounded on him, preparing to retaliate, but apparently the look Sasuke gave Naruto was enough to shut him up.

"This is my son, Hikaru," Michiru said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "He's a little demon, forgive me."

"Nice to meet you, Hikaru-kun," Kakashi greeted.

I dipped my head, smiling at the boy, echoing Kakashi. "Nice to meet you, Hikaru-kun."

Hikaru's eyes landed on me for what seemed to be the first time. His face warmed, a blush forming across his cheeks and he promptly looked away from me.

"Well then, let's get going," Michiru said cheerily, already heading back to the carriage.

Hikaru shot me one last look, his cheeks still a little red, before he trotted after his father.

I nudged Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke ruffled my hair before slowly trailing behind Kakashi as the carriage began to move again.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** One place in the entire world you want to go. and who would you want to go with?


	18. Arc VII - Drowning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This sheer amazing artwork was drawn by Mai-Shibata-Uchiha on deviantART.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

" _In the Moon Country, there is an island called Mikazuki Island that has an everlasting summer. The country seems very prosperous and wealthy. The island has plenty of natural resources and the beautiful beaches are popular tourist attractions. There are also plenty of gambling establishments, and the area is lively year-round. I'd like to go there sometime."_

" _Baa-chan, you're such a gambling addict."_

" _Hmph! The mission is to escort the prince home after he's been traveling around to various smaller countries. Seems that the previous escorts were treated pretty harshly, and bailed on the job."_

" _Sounds like a hassle."_

" _Well, do your best. This is an important mission, as I'd usually assign all Jounin-class shinobi to it. Proceed with caution!"_

" _Hai!"_

As I finished recalling the mission details, I curled up on my sleeping bag next to Kakashi. The caravan had finished eating for the night and everyone was already packed and off to sleep —with the exception of us, of course. No, I had first watch and I was waiting for the others to head back in so they could sleep.

When Naruto and Sasuke arrived, I bode them goodnight and headed off. I passed Kakashi on my way out, bading him goodnight as well. Finally, I found my perch, a little higher up on a gathering of rocks.

I sat down and watched.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A week of traveling and only a handful of bandits dared attack us, but they were weak and slightly pathetic so we defeated them with ease. After a week, we were well out of the desert and currently traveling alongside a grassy plain.

In front of me, Kakashi talked with the prince. Naruto walked on the opposite side of me on the caravan, a little further back and Sasuke brought up the rear. Hikaru, seemed adamant about playing a sort of pink gaming device and then occasionally looking up at me and blushing brightly.

Naruto landed beside me, surprising me.

"Nao," Naruto hummed. "Switch positions with me. I'm tired of watching a horse's ass."

I spluttered with laughter at the abruptness, but gave a grin. "Alright, Naruto-kun. Bye, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi cocked his head back. "Bye, Nao."

I kicked off from my position and jumped up and over the carriages.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A few more hours of walking and we reached a village, and thus reached a circus.

We pulled up around the circus, each of us moving in position to secure the area. Seeing how Hikaru apparently pissed Naruto off about something, he didn't want to guard him anymore. I opted to sit near the princes to guard them and Kakashi allowed the trade.

So while Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi sat a little ways from us, I sat at a bench below Hikaru and Michiru, watching the circus perform.

I must admit that it was incredibly entertaining and I found myself enjoying the show. It was the last event, though, that captured my interest as it took a surprising turn.

"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for," the host declared, stepping into a single spotlight. "Time for the rare Siberian tiger's appearance!"

The spotlight vanished, a drum roll taking precedence as a rainbow of lights flickered around the stadium. The lights vanished and a single spotlight fell to the far upper left hand corner where a _large_ gray Siberian tiger stood. The tiger roared, causing the audience to shout fearfully, but no one dared to leave.

I gasped and leaned forward eagerly, my eyes widened with excitement. The tiger leapt from its corner, all the way down to the floor in the center of the ring.

"Amazing," I breathed, staring at the tiger with a look of wonderment. I had always wanted a pet. I wondered if Sasuke would let me keep one in the Uchiha district? Not like we didn't have enough room. Ino didn't care too much for pets (as she knew full and well how they shed like crazy from one of her civilian friends, so having one at home would be a no-go).

"Behold! The Siberian tiger, Chamū! And Chamū's partner, Kiki!"

At the sound of the name —Kiki— a small monkey somersaulted from midair virtually out of nowhere and landed atop Chamu's head, squealing cutely.

The audience cheered.

"Now please enjoy their performance!"

I clapped and cheered along with the rest of the audience as the two of them performed impressive stunts. At the end of their performance, they had an archer shoot an apple from Kiki's hands atop of Chamū's head.

Then, to raise the stakes, Chamū stood up on its back legs. Kiki perched atop Cham's head, holding up yet another apple and spinning it around. Chamū swayed slightly and the archer poised to shoot again. The host was saying something about how it was dangerous and such.

But what surprised me most of all was when the apple was knocked out and away —that didn't surprise me. Any half decent shinobi could have done that with a kunai— but not by a pointed arrow tip, but by a suction cupped arrow. from Hikaru.

Everyone seemed to freeze from the action, turning the spotlight and their eyes to Hikaru. I stared up at him, impressed. It _was_ impressive from a civilian.

"That was easy," he muttered to himself, not seeming to notice or care the spotlight was on him.

"That was amazing, young man," the host amended, "but what about this one?"

The host snapped his fingers and Chamū took off, running around the ring with Kiki swaying atop and holding a spinning apple, outstretched above the two of them.

"How about it? If you can hit this one, I'll give you a reward!"

Hikaru cocked another arrow and took aim, watching unblinkingly. He shot the apple off.

The audience roared with approval and I couldn't stop myself from beaming at him. He caught my gaze, his face flaring up and looking away sharply. The host approached him, smiling. "That was very good, young man."

"It was nothing," Hikaru mumbled.

"I need to give you a reward, though," the host mused, seeming to think.

"I want that."

Hikaru had pointed to Chamū.

In the end, they had to buy the whole circus.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

As the circus packed up, I opted to leave guarding to Kakashi and snuck away. It took a while, but in the end I found Chamū, sitting freely in the shade atop some boxes with Kiki beside him. I smiled at him, and he looked up, his eyes narrowing.

I held up my fingers, remembering what Shikamaru had told me when approaching wild animals. Chamū wasn't wild, of course, but better to treat him as such than get off on the wrong foot.

Chamū sniffed the air and I lowered myself, almost squatting. He sniffed it again before dropping his head back down to his paws. My smile widened and I stepped towards him, slowly. My arm remained outstretched, my hand wide and open.

He made no hostile movement, so I neared him, carefully brushing my fingers across his soft fur.

"You're so pretty," I whispered, running my fingers through his fur.

"Ne, ne, Nao?" Naruto peeked around the corner.

Chamū eyed him disdainfully.

Sasuke followed behind Naruto, raising an eyebrow. "Nao, stop playing with the cat. We have to go."

I gave a sigh, brushing my hand across the fur one last time before leaving the beautiful cat alone and returning to my guard duties.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Much to my dismay, Chamū had to stay locked up for the rest of the trip, but I _was_ relieved to find that Kakashi allowed me to guard his point in the train. Therefore, I sat right beside his cage, mindlessly playing with his fur through the bars of the cage and sneaking him the occasional treat.

So I was a cat person, sue me.

Another few days had passed before we reached the port city. We had a few hours before we could set sail —as more vessels had to be summoned to carry over _all_ of this junk. Sorry, _materialistic possessions_. So, Hikaru and his father left on a little errand with Naruto and Kakashi guarding him. Sasuke and I stayed behind to guard the cargo.

Fine by me.

Though.

There was one _tiny_ thing bugging me.

I huddled tightly against Chamū —I had released him from his cage and lead him a little ways from the group, along with Kiki, for some fresh air. It would be a long voyage before we reached the island.

Which was the problem.

I stared out at the vast blue sea and once more, I found an unnerving sense of fear wash over me.

Every time I looked out at the ocean, I felt physically sick by fear and horror, but I couldn't explain it. It was familiar, in a way. Not this ocean, but the ocean in general, if that made any sense. As if I had known any other ocean.

But it was the ocean and the thought of going out on it that sent me shuddering.

Instinctively, I huddled closer to Chamū. Chamū gave a rumbling purr, his tail flickering.

Suddenly, his body stiffened and he growled.

I looked up, tearing my gaze from the ocean to find Kakashi walking towards me. I placed a hand on Chamū and Kiki mimicked the action. Chamū hissed, but did not growl, choosing instead to flick his tail in annoyance and rest his massive head on his massive paws.

"There you are," Kakashi said. "We'll be taking off in half an hour."

I blanched.

Kakashi seemed to frown. "Is something wrong, Nao?"

I shifted. "I. I don't know. I just. it seems so. I'm scared. I don't know why, but I'm _scared_."

Kakashi's eye crinkled into a smile and he moved to ruffle my hair. "Don't worry. I won't let anyone hurt you."

_It's not them I'm worried about hurting me, though._

_(It's me)_

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A day out on the boat, and night had fallen. Everyone danced above on the deck, enjoying themselves, but I couldn't bring myself to join the party. I sat far beneath the deck, curled up in the hammock.

Fear swelled inside my gut, unexplainably. The strongest sense of familiarity came over me, but I couldn't place it. And I didn't want to. This wasn't a welcoming familiarity. It was a horrible thing. It was a horrible memory.

I was teetering again. Hyperventilating and rocking back and forth, my eyes screwed shut.

_(They told you not to go out)_

I curled up in on myself, closing my eyes and willing the boat to somehow move faster.

_(They told you the storm was coming. They told you. They told you. They told you)_

Goosebumps crawled up and down my arms.

_(But you didn't listen)_

I shook my head, trying to clear out the voice.

 _(You ignored them, and you took_ them _out with you and look what happened. Look at what you did to yourself. Look what you nearly did to_ them)

A loud sound of thunder echoed around us and I froze.

_(It's happening again.)_

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

The boat swayed violently, forcing me out of my hammock. My entire body was stiff and frozen with fear. I could hear the pounding of footsteps above and all around me as people rushed around the boat.

The fear was bubbling inside of me. The memory ( _that horrible, horrible memory)_ bubbled with it.

My mind, a borderline between here and _there_. Here and _there._ Hereandtherehereandtherehereandthere. Flashes of memories—of faces—of names—of scenes—of _it_.

One moment, I was here, on the boat shaking violently as fear and adrenaline coursed through me, the next I was—

_Momma! Papa! When will they be here? The Coast Guard—you sent the word for them didn't you?_

A whimper escaped me.

_Jaymie? Momma, where's Jaymie? Jaymie?!_

The boat lurched violently again and I was moving. The lights flickered and the room was thrown into darkness. I was moving. Running. Sprinting to the door. Had to go. Had to save himlittlebrother mylittlebrother—

 _Rushing past Momma and Papa. The boat lurched and rain pelted harshly against me. I couldn't see. The rain was making me blind and the wind was making me deaf. It was_ me _who ignored the warnings. It was such a beautiful day that very morning! I thought—I thought perhaps it would remain as such and I wanted a break, I only wanted to spend time with my only family. Was that so wrong? Why was this happening?_

_A wave crashed against the boat, climbing higher and crashing down on us. I slipped and fell, but I scrambled back up on my feet. Heart hammering, I—_

A light bulb burst out in front of me, glass showering down to the ground, but I couldn't see it. I couldn't feel it. I ran across it —not noticing or caring at the way my bare feet crunched into the glass— down the darkened hallway to—

_Jumping down and through. Jaymie? Jaymie, where are you!? The boat moved again and I fell to the floor, a sharp pain jabbing down my ankle._

Turn left here. Right there. Down there. Up there.

_There! Jaymie. Take my hand, good boy, good boy. Shh, shh. Don't worry! Big sissy is here to help, so don't cry. Please. Please, don't cry anymore. I promise, I won't let anything happen to you._

My heart lurched and I ran, faster, bursting out into a dead sprint. The boat swayed and my balance escaped me. I tumbled to the floor.

_Go. Go, Jaymie, go. I'll catch up to you later. I promise._

Frantically, I scrambled back up and sprinted again, turning and twisting down the dark tight halls. Thunder rumbled across the sky—

 _My ankle throbbed painfully. I couldn't see. It was too dark. Jaymie ran ahead —he was on deck now with Momma and Papa. He would be safer there. I had to make sure he was okay; it was_ my _fault he was out here in the first place. I would only slow him down if I had went up there with him, my ankle._

_The halls were slowly flooding in. The water was freezing, but I had to wade through it now. I couldn't see. I was scared. So very scared._

Up the stairs I went, two by two, nearing the deck—

_I was shivering so terribly as I finally made it on deck. The boat swayed violently as a massive wave crashed against it. I could see lights, though. Red. White. I could hear a sound —not thunder— a helicopter! I could see Jaymie on a ladder, Momma behind him. Papa grabbing hold of the ladder and outstretching a hand towards me._

_He was so close. So very close, I knew I could have reached him if I could jump towards him._

_I smiled, my heart lurching up in my throat and I scrambled to take the hand—but—I—was—too—far—when—it—came._

_A wave. So massive. So huge. So black. So_ DaRk _._

_It fell across the deck and a force unlike any I had seen swept me away, away from the hand—_

_TheHandWasTooFar._

I burst across the deck, shoving the chaos away and scrambling around. I couldn't see what they were doing. I ran around them, away from them towards the back end of the deck, towards the emptyemptyempty back end.

_I fell back, and my fear returned. Frantically and desperately I struggled against the force—_

Thunder rolled—

— _Lightning flashed, right across the sky as I flew over the deck and into the dark, dark waters._

I crumpled to the ground, the sobs built up in my chest seeming to release. I curled up in myself, and I cried and I cried.

_I._

_Did._

_Not._

_Resurface._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** The most kick-ass thing you have ever seen in your CHILDHOOD? YouTube videos do *not* count.
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	19. Arc VII - Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  Touching artwork was done by Kira-Tsume on deviantART.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

Kakashi found me curled up and soaking wet by myself the following morning. The sun was shining brightly and the sky was a beautiful clear blue with lovely white fluffy clouds, but I wouldn't. couldn't. have noticed. I stared off elsewhere, my mind replaying it over and overandover _andov_ —

"Nao."

I turned, so slowly, towards the sound and found Kakashi kneeling in front of me, his expression unreadable.

"You were scared."

I nodded slowly, wordlessly.

Kakashi closed his eye briefly before opening it again. With a small sigh, he moved to sit next to me, pressing his back against the wet wall that I was curled up against.

"It's okay to be scared," Kakashi said after a moment. "Everyone is afraid of something."

I didn't bother responding.

Kakashi glanced at me through the corner of his eye, sighing again. He shifted slightly, pulling off his Jounin jacket and placing it over me. "Stop shivering."

I didn't realize I was shivering.

"Sorry," I whispered hoarsely.

Kakashi didn't reply, he only sat back again.

A moment passed.

"I'm not any good at this stuff," Kakashi sighed. "Where's Kurenai when you need her? Or hell. Anko. well, maybe not _Anko_ per se, but." he cleared his throat and shifted slightly. "Sometimes it's best to face your fears head on."

Another moment passed.

"That's not what I was afraid of. The storm. The ship. The ocean. I'm not afraid of _those_."

Kakashi turned his gaze on me. "What are you afraid of?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know."

"I don't know. _I'm_ not afraid of the storm, but _she_ is."

"Who?"

_(Me.)_

"I don't know."

"I see."

We lapsed into silence.

I shifted slightly. In a quiet voice I asked, "Can I. May I. sl. sleep?"

"I daresay you _could_."

"Here," I clarified. "I mean. I just. I don't want to be alone right now. I promise I'll be better when I wake up."

Kakashi turned his head, his single eye seeming almost analytical as he stared at me.

"I believe you will be, too," Kakashi said softly. "Three hours tops is the best I can give you."

"Thank you," I whispered.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I giggled at Chamū, who rolled lazily on his back. Hikaru sat beside me, smiling happily as Kiki ran around Chamū. After my nap with Kakashi, I awoke feeling much better than I had when I fell asleep. With many thanks, I headed off to guard duty for Hikaru. Not before I ran into Naruto, who gave me the rundown on everything that had transpired —how Hikaru risked his life to save Chamū's when the boat's violent swaying in the storm had knocked him overboard and in return, Chamū became affectionate for him and such.

"That was a brave thing to do," I told Hikaru, smiling at him.

Hikaru's face once again took on a familiar red and he promptly looked away. "Yeah, well."

"Naru-kun says he considers you a friend now, even Sasuke-kun," I said. "And I must confess, I'm very happy that you saved Chamū, so I would like to ask you if it would be alright if I was your friend, as well?"

Hikaru's face somehow became redder and he ducked his head. "Y-Yeah. O-Okay."

I nodded sagely. "Alright, Hikaru-kun."

"A-Alright. Nao-chan."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I yawned tiredly, my head resting on Sasuke's shoulder. We sat on the railing of the ship, watching as the island neared us. Naruto had gone off to grab some food for us.

"I can't wait until this mission is over," Sasuke muttered.

"That's because you're antisocial and hate leaving home," I retorted.

"Obviously."

"Can I have a pet?"

"You cannot have a Siberian tiger."

"Who said anything about a Siberian tiger?"

"I see how you are with Chamū. We are not getting a Siberian tiger."

"What about a regular tiger?"

"No."

"Leopard?"

"No."

"Lion?"

"No."

"Panther? They're black."

".Maybe."

I suppressed a snicker, settling for a large grin.

"Hey, whatssup?" Naruto asked, swinging over the railings to sit next to me.

"We're getting a panther," I told him.

"I didn't say _yes_."

"You didn't say _no_ , either."

"Why do we want a panther?" Naruto asked, frowning. "Why can't we get a. uh, I don't know, a dog or something?"

"Because I want a cat," I clarified.

Naruto shuddered. "I don't."

"Why not?" Sasuke asked incredulously.

"One word: Tora."

Somehow the idea of having a pet cat lost its appeal.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Right, let's be off."

I sat atop the royal carriage. The boat had docked and everything was currently being taken off the boat in preparation to the trip to the palace. The princes rested in the horse drawn carriage, Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke taking up each side. I sat at the top of it, eyeing everything.

For such a rumored to be prestigious city, it seemed incredibly deserted at the port.

As the carriage began to move and we moved with it, a suspicious gnawing feeling wormed its way in my gut.

It was deserted.

No, seriously.

 _Empty_.

As we walked through the supposed-to-be bustling streets —there was nothing. Not even the shops were open.

Through the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw life —movement of a shadow.

I looked down at Kakashi and he caught my eye, giving a slow nod. He had seen it, too.

Our journey continued and still no life was shown as we reached the palace. A gorgeous castle, but virtually empty and deserted. As the princes climbed out, both looking a little crestfallen, a plump man walked out onto the balcony of the palace.

"Ah, Shabadaba," Hikaru's father said.

"Well, well, if it isn't Michiru," Shabadaba said, his voice somehow seeming slimy. "Back from your travels? I'm sure you must be exhausted. You and young Hikaru are well, I hope?"

"Yes, thank you Shabadaba," Michiru replied. "What's going on in town? Where is everyone? There was no one to meet us."

The man seemed to look down upon the princes, his expression becoming unreadable. My suspicion doubled and I tensed myself, already inching closer to Hikaru. Hikaru glanced towards me, his brow furrowed, but he started to inch closer to me, as well.

"Shabadaba?" Michiru asked tentatively. ".Where is my father? Is something wrong? Why didn't he come?"

"The king," drawled Shabadaba, an almost gleeful note in his voice, "is dead."

Michiru's face contorted with shock as a rush of soldiers came out of the palace, surrounding us in a matter of seconds. My eyes narrowed and I placed myself directly in front of Hikaru, fixing my posture.

"I rule the Moon Country now," Shabadaba said, "which means there's no need for you now, prince. Kill them all!"

"All of you, defend," Kakashi ordered.

I pushed chakra into my hand, forming the hum of my jutsu. The lightning hummed brightly and I leapt from my spot atop the carriage, spinning. I threw the half-sword, half-whip jutsu away from me towards the bulk of soldiers. It exploded with a bright flash.

Every soldier it had touched dropped dead. Or passed out. I couldn't tell from the distance and I _really_ didn't care. There was some part of me that was _furious_ at the betrayal, and that part was even more furious when I saw Hikaru's crushed face. In an almost vindictive way, I _hoped_ they were dead.

I landed in front of Hikaru and Michiru, shifting postures as Naruto and Sasuke double-tagged and knocked out another major bulk. I couldn't see Kakashi, but I knew he was there. A few of the soldiers hesitated coming towards me, my right hand flickering with the dangerous chakra, but they still came.

The blade formed in my hand, dropping into a whip at the end. I raised it up as a single steel sword came crashing down. The electricity flowed from my chakra, using the sword as a conductor, and traveled up the soldier's arm and to his body. He gave a strangled cry, stumbling away from me and dropping the sword. His body shook violently and yet another idiotic soldier rushed towards me.

"Prince Michiru, Hikaru-kun, get back in the carriage," I ordered, kicking away as the soldier neared me.

Kakashi landed beside me, landing a solid kick against a soldier who tried to come up behind me. The princes had entered the carriage.

"Drive that carriage out of here," Kakashi commanded.

The frightened man driving gave a stumbling nod and whipped the horses into a canter.

Soldiers rushed after the carriage, but my lightning was already building up. I threw it towards the back end of them, it exploded with another bright light. Only a few stayed in pursuit of the carriage then and I rushed after them.

Another strange vehicle was coming up ahead towards the carriage.

Reinforcements.

But for which side?

A man leapt out and rushed towards a mass of soldiers, pulling out his sword and attacking them.

Our side.

Good.

Sasuke twisted up into the air, a massive fireball pouring out of his mouth and burning away another massive bulk of soldiers.

Kakashi landed beside the lone man, whispering something. The man nodded and ran to the carriage, taking hold of it and steering it away from the battle ground. I leapt atop the carriage, Sasuke landing right beside me.

I scooped down and grabbed Naruto's outstretched hand as he ran, pulling him up.

Kakashi stayed behind for a moment, his hands in a flurry of movements before he slammed them down. The ground erupted before him, throwing the majority of the soldiers off balance. He leapt away and quickly caught up to us, landing behind me.

"Thanks for the help," the man said once the palace was out of sight. "I'm sorry I couldn't get the word out soon enough for what happened here."

"Where are we headed?" Kakashi asked.

"I have men stationed in the mountains. We'll go there for now."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I stood outside the cave, wanting to give them as much privacy as possible. To think. the king of this land was betrayed by his ministers because his ministers were corrupted with greed. Not uncommon, exactly, but to see it happen first-hand seemed. well, not pleasant. And Shabadaba planned to overthrow the king and by chance, the plot was discovered and the king was informed. He had realized the time had come to confront the ministers and, as such, sent his son and grandson on a tour of many lands to protect them.

Once they were safely out of the way, he moved to settle it, but Shabadaba had already hired mercenary shinobi to secure his place. They were too late and only a handful made it out with the king. barely. the king's injuries were too grave, and he slipped into a coma.

And that's where I, Kakashi, and Sasuke took a role.

I had pulled back the sheet, uncovering his 'wounds'.

I stared in morbid fascination. Half of his chest and his entire right arm. was turned to stone.

"One of the shinobi. he possesses this jutsu."

"That turns people to stone," Sasuke finished, his eyes narrowing. "An earth style jutsu."

I placed a hand on it, gnawing on my bottom lip. "If that's true, shouldn't the counter be a lightning-based jutsu?"

"In theory," Kakashi said, "but to use a lightning style attack on a human body could have devastating effects."

" _Could_ have," I amended, "but not necessarily. look at us, we've been struck by our own lightning styles so many times."

"Yes, but we're much more fit than."

"Can you fix him?" Michiru interrupted, wide anxious eyes pleading.

"Maybe," Sasuke answered him. "What if we did a little bit at a time?"

"We would need to focus it in different areas, though," I said, frowning. "If we put all of it in one area, only that area will be cured. If it's curable at all."

"Well, it's a good thing we have more than one lightning user," Sasuke retorted.

I shrugged. "I'm up for it."

"It wouldn't hurt," Kakashi admitted.

"Man, I wish I had lightning style," Naruto muttered.

"Sorry, losers aren't allowed," Sasuke said.

Naruto shot him a dirty look.

I placed both my hands over his heart and Sasuke knelt down beside me, while Kakashi moved to squat next to Sasuke. Kakashi placed both his hands on the king's shoulder and Sasuke placed both his hands on the king's side.

"Little by little?" I asked.

"Little by little," Sasuke confirmed.

So little by little we went.

In the end, only his arm remained stone, but none of us were medical shinobi, so we couldn't do much better than undo what had been turned to stone. However, it was enough for one last conversation with the king.

So I stood outside the cave as they talked. The dying old man and his precious children.

Somehow, it seemed too private to intrude.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Night had fallen and the order to evacuate the princes away from the land had been given. As the captain (the man that had sent the reinforcements for us) tried to drag Michiru's body towards the ocean to the boat, he resisted all the way. Hikaru and a handful of guards stood a little ways from us as we tried to drag his body again.

That was when my spine tingled with a sixth sense and I heard the sharp whizzing of a kunai rushing by.

I leapt away, in time to see the ground explode beneath us. When the sand cleared, three shinobi stood in its place.

"Are you guys stupid or what?" came an incredibly high-pitched voice from the smallest shinobi.

"We saw light coming from the coast," added a deep voice from the largest shinobi.

"It was obvious you made arrangements with the ships for the prince to escape. Now why don't you hand over that man and the brat?" asked another deep-voiced shinobi.

"Like hell! As if anyone's gonna hand them over to _you_ ," Naruto declared.

"You're full of spunk, brat," he responded.

And faster than I could blink, he appeared behind Naruto, slamming his fist against his cheek. Sasuke switched positions, his eyes swirling into the Sharingan. Naruto soared away from us and the man rushed after him, delivering a solid kick against him, kicking him up into the air.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in anger and he rushed after them, but was quickly intercepted by the largest one. The great brute raised a huge meaty fist against Sasuke, but he ducked out of the way.

Before I could assist either of them, the smallest one rushed towards me.

"You're the one with the exploding light," she hissed, a smile on her face as she kicked towards me.

I back flipped away from her, skidding across the sand a bit. As I flew back, my nose caught a whiff of a strong sense of perfume. Too much of it, if you asked me.

"And you're the one with hedgehog hair," I commented.

She bristled considerably. "How _dare_ you!"

"I dare," I assured her, building up my jutsu in my right hand. She sneered at me, rushing forward.

"You wouldn't set that off, so near yourself," she replied, smirking.

"I've done it many times before," I replied as she neared. "I'm nearly used to it, but I daresay _you_ are _not_."

It exploded right as she reached it.

Cold energy washed over me, tingling up and down my arm. I was momentarily blinded and when the light cleared, I was dizzy and disoriented. I didn't put in enough power to do real damage, but it was enough to send her flying back, trembling from the override of energy and shivering from the cold.

My right hand trembled and I knew, with much reluctance, that it would be useless for the remainder of this fight. _However_ , it was a blessed thing that all shinobi and kunoichi were trained to use their opposite hand nearly as well, if not as well. With only my right hand out of commission, I may not have been able to use jutsus, but I could still kick _her_ butt.

She stood up shakily, trembling from the jutsu. She glared at me furiously, her expression darkened.

Before she could do or say a thing, however, a cry of help from Michiru called my attention. He was surrounded by enemy soldiers. _When did...?_

I looked around frantically and found Naruto lying unconscious in the sand, Sasuke breathing heavily, and Kakashi with a petrified stone arm. And an entirely petrified captain —the man who had came to our aid and taken us to the mountains to the king before.

I watched in horror as the man Kakashi had been facing shattered the captain.

The larger shinobi was coming towards Hikaru and I rushed forward.

"Help me!" Hikaru cried out, trembling as the larger shinobi nearly reached him. I felt a rush of anger bubble inside my gut and I sprinted towards Hikaru, using every ounce of speed I possessed.

A rush of energy erupted a little ways from me and I stumbled. It was familiar energy. It was.

 _(Ku-ra-ma_.)

My head whipped around and I found Naruto had lurched back up, his once clear blue eyes taking on a red tint and slitted, fangs protruded from his mouth and he snarled at the man. Then faster than what I could process, he had covered the distance between the two in the blink of an eye, kicking solidly against the large shinobi and sending him whirling out into the ocean.

Naruto rushed after him and kicked him back into the main land, punching his jaw and forcing the man to crawl away.

The girl I had been fighting cried out in despair and rushed towards Naruto, throwing some sort of petals around her and then disappearing into them. The petals swirled around Naruto, forming a sort of vortex. Invisible knives tore away at Naruto, slicing him.

My eyes widened as I realized what was happening.

"She's a genjutsu specialist, Naru-kun!" I shouted.

Naruto bared his fangs and let out a burst of sharp chakra. The petals whirled away and she flew back, crashing roughly against the sand and skidding to the water.

My head whirled back around as I saw the soldiers running away with a struggling Michiru and I was prepared to give chase, but the trembling in my arm reminded me that taking on an entire group of mercenaries with _one_ hand was _not_ a good idea.

Instead, I turned and rushed back to Naruto, who was slowly losing the red tint in his eyes.

As I reached him, he sagged and fell forward. My arms wrapped around him and I caught him carefully, landing on my bum in the process.

Kakashi moved towards us, his right arm glowing with lightning as he undid the stone petrification.

Sasuke sat down next to me, breathing heavily and looking a little annoyed at having lost to the larger opponent.

I looked up, noticing the night sky was no longer so dark, taking an orange-ish tint to it. And noticing Hikaru's trembling lip as he stared off into the distance where they had taken his father.

I lowered my gaze, my fingers running through Naruto's hair.

Well. It would seem we had our work cut out for ourselves now.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much, Miacielica-Blizzard and SnatchingSouls. Links on profile or you can check out my (Charredblossom16) dA favorites or their dA gallery.
> 
>  **Question:** Favorite video-game? If you can't pick one, give me your top five or top seven. :)
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	20. Arc VII - Smile

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

I wasn't quite sure what to make of Hikaru. I admired his bravery regarding the storm, and I admired his kindness to us (after the storm, of course. Although, he was never mean to me before the story, like he was with Naruto and Sasuke. a gentleman, I suppose). However, when something as worrying as having your father kidnapped by hostile terrorists occurs. how do you approach someone?

Naruto was always the charismatic one, not I. Yet it was at Kakashi's insistence that I still talked to Hikaru even after Naruto had already cheered him up.

It seemed rather silly. When I protested such, Kakashi only insisted even more.

I finally relented after a while, and that's how I found myself sitting next to Hiraku, silence between us.

I cleared my throat, looking over at his bright-red face. "So. you know we're going to get your father back, right?"

"Of course I do," Hiraku declared. "Naruto promised me, and he never breaks his promises."

"That's right. Naru-kun always keeps his promises," I said, smiling fondly at my friend.

"Ah. Ah, Nao-chan." Hikaru mumbled, his face taking on a brighter hue. I felt myself frowning in concern, _Is he getting a fever?_

"Mn?"

"I was wondering."

Sasuke entered the small grassy clearing. "There you are. It's time to go."

"Right!"

Hikaru sighed.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Saving the prince. by acting as the circus.

Well, _we_ weren't acting as a circus, of course. Kakashi would lead the circus through an act to distract the majority of people while we took the secret passage into the palace.

It was relatively uneventful getting into the palace, but once we were in, of course trouble ensued.

We headed down the hallways, my communicator buzzing in as Kakashi explained the distraction was complete and that Michiru was being held on the upper terrace. I explained the information to the others and we broke into a sprint.

We paused before the door to the front corridor, one of our soldiers slipping out and surveying the area. Once he gave the all clear, I relayed the message to Kakashi. Faintly, I could hear the music in the background come to an end as Kakashi began his own show.

Only seconds after the music ended did screams break out in front of the palace.

"That's our cue," I murmured, glancing back as Naruto moved to Hikaru.

He placed a comforting hand on the quivering boy, whispering words too quiet to be overheard. Hikaru gave a smile and nodded firmly. We headed out, quickly cutting across the room and heading up the stairs. After the first flight of stairs, we ran into the largest of the shinobi.

"Hehe, so he was right. That Ishidate is a clever one," he said, grinning and stepping forward. "He guessed that all that ruckus outside was a diversion."

"I'll give you a diversion," Naruto said firmly, taking a step forward.

"No," Sasuke snapped. "He's mine. I need payback for that dirty trick he pulled. He won't get away with it a second time."

"Fine," Naruto said, giving a nod and heading away. He ducked behind the nearest hallway, the rest of us following behind and leaving Sasuke.

I wasn't concerned for Sasuke. I knew he could handle it.

Distantly, I could hear the fighting begin immediately behind us, but quickly dismissed it from my mind. It would do me no good to pay attention to those behind at this point. We ducked down another hallway and began to rapidly climb the stairs, Naruto a pace ahead of me.

As we reached the top, I caught a sickeningly familiar stench of perfume. Following my nose, my hand flew down and I pulled out a kunai. I threw the kunai in the general direction of the stench.

The lady from before slowly became visible and Naruto faltered in his steps upon seeing her.

"Aw, how did you guess?" the lady asked with a creepy smile.

"You're wearing heavy perfume, hedgehog girl," I answered. "You guys go on ahead. I have some unfinished business to attend to here."

"Hedgehog girl?!" she hissed, bundling up her muscles for an attack. Naruto and Hikaru shot me a worried look, but complied, rushing on ahead with the others right behind them.

I leapt back as she slammed her fist into the ground beneath me, leaving a small crater.

My right hand glowed a bright white as my jutsu began, a single long sword appeared, the end of it slopping pathetically.

She scowled furiously at me. "I'm not falling for that same trick again!"

"I find that you will indeed fall for that same trick again," I said, rushing forward.

She glowered at me, leaping back and dissolving into a flurry of petals. The petals circled around me, and I paused in my assault, looking around for her. Annoyance swelled inside of me as I realized she had masterfully hidden herself in the genjutsu.

Well, not masterfully.

I gave a careful sniff, but before I could pinpoint her exactly, a sharp stinging sensation came from my upper arm. I immediately canceled my jutsu, looking down at the bleeding scratch. Another cut came across my other arm, followed by another one on my leg.

I winced inwardly, but didn't pay them much attention. I had gone through worse pain.

I inhaled, enhancing my sense of smell with my chakra until I found her exact position.

I released my kekkei genkai, wincing again as my concentration threatened to break from more cuts, but Papa had put me through worse things. So long as I could hold her for a second —long enough to cancel the jutsu— I could hit her with my original jutsu and finish this.

My chakra wrapped around her and the genjutsu was canceled.

She stared, wide-eyed in shock at me, and began to struggle violently. I found, though, compared to Orochimaru and Kakashi and Zabuza, she was laughably pathetic. I held her for another heartbeat before I willed her towards me.

She moved, roughly and jerkily, towards me, falling over her own feet and landing on the floor on her face.

My jutsu was over and a slight wave of fatigue came over me, but I was already rushing to her, my sword-whip in hand. Her head jerked up from the humming sound and her eyes widened.

My jutsu sliced through her head, surprisingly neatly.

It then exploded, somehow more terrible than the other times, sending me flying back and hitting my head against the wall.

I slumped against the wall, my entire body going numb and shaking for a minute before stopping entirely. It stiffened for a heartbeat before relaxing entirely, exhaustion pressing down on it.

 _It exploded after having enough pressure on it to slice through bone,_ I thought, mulling over the new results. _Interesting. That's good to know. I suppose I'll have to work on that, though._

I struggled to stand up, wincing. I've had worse, though, and I was sadly starting to get very used to the numbing sensation. Slowly, but surely, I made my way to the rooftop.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

It took me a while —longer than what I would have normally liked— to reach the top, and by the time I did reach it, the fighting was over. I watched in the shadows as the son, the prince, and my dearest friend laughed with glee and relief at the corpse of the enemy.

The feelings of numbness escaped me and I continued to watch them for a while longer. Sasuke was soon at my side, watching them in silence. I peeked a glance at Sasuke, and my eye momentarily widened when I saw his expression.

"Our knuckleheaded boy certainly seems to have grown up so fast," I whispered quietly, smiling proudly at him.

Sasuke glanced at me, frowning.

"As much as you have, Sasuke-kun," I finished, smiling brightly at my other friend.

Sasuke blinked in surprise. "What? Really?"

"Mm-hmm, you two grow in different ways, you know?" I said, motioning between the two.

Sasuke gave me a dubious look.

I smiled though. "Maybe you can't see it, but trust me. You've come so far, Sasuke-kun. I'm really proud of you."

Sasuke's eyes widened and he sharply looked away, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Whatever."

I giggled.

_That's right, Sasuke-kun. Compared to what you could have been your expression, then, watching Naruto._

I moved a step closer to Sasuke, nudging his arm and starting to head towards the group. Sasuke hesitated a moment before following behind me.

_...it was the expression, no, the smile, of a proud brother._

(I'm so proud of you)

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I laughed happily along with Naruto as Sasuke scowled balefully at us. He was dripping wet from the water balloon arrow Hikaru had launched at him earlier. The four of us were currently enjoying the rest of our. 'mission' that would last for the rest of month. with pay, of course. on the beautiful beach.

Kakashi was off in the shade, reading a mature book, but seemed very much at ease. Hikaru was riding Chamū when he shot the arrow, and now the large cat was racing away from a very vengeful Uchiha.

Naruto and I shared a look before we busted out laughing again.

"I love this mission," Naruto said happily.

I gave him a large grin, my eyes switching to the ocean —lingering a moment or two longer than necessary— before I looked back around my friends.

"It's not that bad, actually."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** The one movie / book / show you will NEVER watch?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	21. Arc VIII - Taken

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A week after returning from our vacation —I mean _mission_ — I found myself returning home to Naruto and Sasuke after training with Papa late one evening.

I was feeling incredibly content, as the beautiful bright sun was nearly entirely gone from the sky. It left behind only a warm violet-pink that faded into a cool indigo blue. I made little to no noise as I padded softly through the dirt path, alone.

As I took another turn, the Uchiha District now in sight, two strange shinobi landed in front of me.

Again, I felt the achingly familiar wave of _déjà vu_ come over me, but not too strongly this time. I felt two more presences appear behind me, and a frown pulled down on my lips.

In front of me were two boys. One of them had dark skin and dark hair, and was grinning. The other boy had pale skin and silvery-blue hair that was pulled back into a sort of ponytail. Turning my head slightly, I saw a girl with bright red hair and a large boy. They all wore similar outfits.

"Inonao, yes?" The silver-blue boy asked.

"Nao," I corrected automatically, my frown deepening. Unconsciously, I shifted into a defensive position. "How can I help you?"

"We're here on behalf of Orochimaru-sama," answered the same boy.

Immediately, I tensed, my eyes darting as I tried to calculate the nearest exits.

They all laughed.

"I wouldn't bother, bitch," sneered the red haired girl. "We'll kick your ass long before you get the chance to."

"Language," spat the large boy.

The girl only turned her sneer to him.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"You," the first boy said. "By accident, Orochimaru-sama marked you, but you _survived_. Something which is incredibly rare not to mention your kekkei genkai has a very strong appeal for our master, but really it's mostly the fact that you _survived_ the marking that interests our master. So very few survive, so he has even fewer test subjects regarding the mark, but you... even though you couldn't even hold the _complete_ version, thus making yours more unstable and increasing your risk of dying significantly, you lived. Something he would have thought impossible..."

"And if I don't want to come with you?"

"You die."

It took all my willpower not to outwardly react to that statement.

"Oh, we won't kill you," the boy continued, grinning. "The Curse Mark will. You see this?" he held up a small glass bottle of pills. "This will complete the transition. You must have noticed how painful it was to have such a mark, yes? It's because it's incomplete. This pill will complete it."

"And if it's not complete, it will kill me, regardless of my sealing," I finished for him.

"Correct," he chuckled. "So really, you don't have a choice."

"You're wrong," I said quietly. "I would gladly give my life if it meant not betraying my dear ones, especially if it meant saving them. I took this mark for my Sasuke-kun, I do not regret that decision."

"I see," he said, his grin dropping. "Then we'll have to use force."

I switched stances.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Shaking, I collapsed heavily on the ground, breathing shallowly. The dark boy had some sort of venomous capabilities. I barely saw him coming —he was too fast. I was bleeding heavily from a wound running up my left arm, but I paid it no heed.

The poison was kicking in. It wasn't lethal, but it would sedate me.

Already, I had lost feeling in my legs.

But I was satisfied to find that they looked worse for the wear as well. The silver-blue boy sported a black eye and a broken nose, I broke _two_ of spider boy's arms, the girl had two black eyes, and the larger one was shaking from my chakra attack.

I had barely pulled _that_ one off. as he had prepared to punch me, I grabbed his arm and released my lightning chakra inside of him. No noise or visible shows of light, but it sure as hell probably hurt a lot.

"Stubborn bitch," the red haired girl hissed.

The silver-blue boy sneered, swooping down and popping open the pill bottle. "We can complete the sealing away from the village. But let's make her take the pill conscious; I don't feel like sticking my fingers anywhere near her mouth."

I shuddered inwardly at the thought.

He popped the pill in my mouth and rubbed my cheeks to force me to swallow it.

It went down painfully dry.

I lost all feeling in my lower body and consciousness was slipping quickly. My eyes closed. I had one hope left. Like with Itachi...

My jutsu bubbled up around my arm, and the boy leaped back, startled.

I flopped my arm upwards and released it. It exploded with a bright light and a loud hum.

My vision darkened and I was no longer in this world.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**(Third Person POV – Kakashi)**

Kakashi moved quietly through the hallways in the Hokage's tower. Years of routine had him on auto-pilot straight to the Hokage's office. He was tired; dead tired. He couldn't remember the last time he had to work such long hours of continuous back-to-back missions as a Jounin. As an ANBU, sure. He would be repeatedly placed on high-risk missions and allowed only an hour or so of sleep before being placed on yet _another_ one. It was a tiring task, and it was the key reason why no one stayed in ANBU for more than a handful of years at a time —never mind the actual horrors that consisted of each mission.

However, Kakashi was a retired ANBU (Who the hell was he kidding? There was no such thing as _retired_ ANBU; what he was was simply an ANBU on a little break), and after years of a sort of relaxed-pacing of missions, it was especially tiring to be put on such a rigorous routine so quickly. It didn't help that he hardly had a chance to train his fresh little Genin —and he actually _enjoyed_ training them, finding it therapeutic, almost. Sasuke and Naruto's friendly bickering was almost calming in a way, and Nao's soft smiles and giggles at them were uplifting.

He didn't even have time to visit the Memorial Stone, and that was unnerving.

When he opened the door to the office, his eyes flickered up to Tsunade's face, who was bent down over some papers. He slipped in quietly, not making a single noise, and stood before her.

Tsunade didn't glance up at him as she stretched out her hand towards him. Kakashi didn't hesitate in placing the papers inside her hands and she skimmed over his report.

"Excellent work, Kakashi," Tsunade said, a calculating glint in her eyes that didn't quite sit well with Kakashi.

"If I may, Hokage-sama," Kakashi began, and at her nod, he continued, "I would like to request some time now to train my Genin."

"I can't grant that," Tsunade said, leaning back in her chair and eyeing Kakashi.

Kakashi tried not to let his shoulders slump in disappointment. "Another mission, Hokage-sama?"

"No. They aren't in the village."

Shizune glanced over at Tsunade with a worried expression, and Kakashi frowned.

"What do you mean? Did you send the three of them out on their own...? Does that mean one of them made Chūnin?"

"Yes, and no. I sent Naruto and Sasuke out, but they're under the leadership of the newly promoted Nara Shikamaru. I've also sent out Hyūga Neji, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba. Not to mention I've called for some extra help from Sunagakure," Tsunade said, her eyes still on Kakashi.

Kakashi's lips tugged down and his mind quickly worked through what information she had provided.

"I can't send you," Tsunade continued, still eyeing him. "Not officially, of course. You're still wanted here."

"Where's Nao-chan?" Kakashi asked, praying his drawn assumption was incorrect.

"Taken."

Kakashi did not say anything else; he walked away.

He tried hard not to hear Shizune's quiet, "You did that on purpose, Tsunade-sama. You knew he would go after his students."

"I can't officially send him, Shizune. I can, however, officially note that he was unsurprisingly late for his report —and if he so happens to be late because he was rescuing his students, what does that matter to me?"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Kakashi was an excellent tracker, years of experience making him so, but he couldn't be too sure, so he summoned his most trusted partner, Pakkun.

It did not take long to find the first unconscious boy, and Kakashi spent a brief time in summoning another one of his ninken and having them sent back to Konoha to send someone to gather the boy.

First, he found Chōji, then he found both Neji and Kiba next to each other, both passed out along with the corpse of another adolescent. After that, he didn't find anyone else —he smelled them. He could tell Shikamaru was fighting someone to the far east of him, and Shino was ahead of him. He could even smell Gai's student, Lee —who Tsunade did not officially send, either— but he didn't run into any of them. None smelled near death or were bleeding heavily, so Kakashi opted to focus on tracking down the student he _knew_ was in danger.

Hours must have dragged on, and he could tell he was nearing the Fire Land's border. Despite being so tired, so heavily weighed down, he pressed on. Fear of losing one of his comrades spurned him to push past his limits. Fear of losing Nao doubled his efforts. He was nearing the Valley of the End when he smelled his three students, along with a fourth unidentifiable person.

"Uh-oh," Pakkun grunted, causing Kakashi's heart to clench.

Uh-oh was an understatement. Even at maximum speed, it would take Kakashi fifteen to twenty minutes to get there, but even from the distance, Kakashi could _feel_ the chakra.

The Kyūbi's chakra.

 _One of the kidnappers must have pushed Naruto to the edge. He's losing control,_ Kakashi reasoned, his expression grim. _Either that opponent will be completely annihilated, or..._

Kakashi broke off that line of reasoning. _No. No. Sasuke wouldn't do something as stupid as trying to restrain Naruto. Sure, Naruto would more than likely regret his actions if he_ wasn't _restrained, and Sasuke knows that, and the two are close, but Sasuke wouldn't be so—_

Kakashi shook his head, grudging his line of thought. _No. He would be. The stupid idiot. He wouldn't try and restrain Naruto under normal circumstances, but with Nao in such close proximity and if Sasuke suspects for a moment that Naruto is a danger to him and Nao..._

"I hope he doesn't try and play the hero card," Kakashi said softly.

Pakkun gave a grunt of agreement.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**(First Person POV - Inonao)**

When I opened my eyes, I felt distinctly tired and groggy. My vision was blurred and I could feel arms wrapped around me, carrying me bridal style. I stared up, disgruntled, at the familiar face of Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei?" I asked, my voice sounding muffled.

Kakashi stopped his running from branch to branch and that's when I noticed Pakkun was beside him. His eye crinkled and relief seemed to wash over his face. "Nao. You had us worried."

"Sorry," I responded tiredly. "Wha. happened?"

Kakashi gave a humorless chuckle. "The moment Naruto and Sasuke saw your jutsu, they ran out and saw the area around it a little worse for wear. They reported it to Tsunade, who assigned Shikamaru to gather up followers to chase after you. Neji, Chōji, Kiba, Shino, as well as Naruto and Sasuke, composed the team. Lee later joined them, along with the Suna Siblings."

He shook his head. "It was quite the fiasco. I only heard about it when I came back from my mission and." Kakashi actually looked sheepish. "I summoned Pakkun without Tsunade-sama's permission and chased after everyone."

"Where. is everyone?"

"Medical Corps followed behind me," Kakashi explained. "Everyone's a little tired and is being escorted back. Sasuke and Naruto knocked themselves unconscious when Naruto lost control and Sasuke had to had to restrain him. The medical team is following behind us currently."

"But they're okay?" I asked, worried.

"They're fine," Kakashi assured me. "For now, let's get you back home."

I gave a tired smile. "Thank you, Kakashi."

His eye crinkled. "Maa. Don't mention it."

"Ah. but. the other ones. the ones who came here on behalf of Orochimaru?"

"Taken care of. Don't worry, Nao. It's not going to ever happen again."

I closed my eyes, trusting his words.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** What's your top three gripes, or issues regarding school / work / friends / family or holidays?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	22. Arc VIII - Journey

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Two weeks since then, I found myself staring at two very sheepish boys.

"Let me get this straight," I said carefully. "Naruto-kun, _you're_ leaving on a three-year journey with Jiraiya-sama. And Sasuke-kun, _you're_ also leaving on a three-year journey with Kakashi-sensei."

They both nodded, squirming at my frown.

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked in mild disbelief.

"I wanted you to come along," Sasuke said swiftly. "But Kakashi was right in saying that two-on-one training wouldn't be as efficient as one-on-one training and since."

_.Since Naruto lost control, I need to be stronger to not only restrain him, but I also have to be stronger to face my brother._

I gave a slow nod, accepting this, then I turned to look at Naruto.

"Pervy-Sage won't let me take you with us!" Naruto blurted out. "He said we're going to be moving around a lot and he doesn't want any more kids than necessary! I'm sorry! I tried to convince him otherwise; I swear I did."

"I believe both of you," I assured them. "And I'm not mad. I guess I feel a little left out."

They both winced.

I gnawed at my bottom lip. "Can you. can you guys give me some time to digest this? How soon are you leaving, anyway?"

"Three days," they both said.

"Alright."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"So now I don't know what to do," I explained to Mommy.

I was curled up at my old home on the couch, the two of us. She had made us both some hot chocolate and was listening with a growing frown on her face to my dilemma.

She bit her bottom lip, chewing thoughtfully. "Why don't you go on your own journey then?"

"I don't have a sensei," I answered, glancing down.

"You don't need one," Mommy said, almost reluctantly.

I looked back up sharply. "What?"

"My mother. and my grandmother and her mother and." Mommy began to explain, a little hesitantly, "all were accomplished kunoichi, as you know. They all went out on a journey at five to ten years. They learned the wonders of the world and. you know the story."

I did. They each developed their own unique techniques and successfully taught them to others, who also successfully mastered them.

"Are you saying... are you saying I can go on my own journey?" I asked in disbelief.

Mommy chewed on her lip again. "The reason I never went was because I had no desire to. And if you did go, you are definitely not going for five years. And I expect monthly —no, weekly— letters to me. Preferably daily, if you can. I also want you to check in on _multiple_ friends of mine. They'll tell me what state you're in, alright? _And_ you will _stay in this land._ "

My eyes widened with each word. "Really? You'll let me go?"

"It's tradition," Mommy murmured. "I trust you to keep a sensible head and keep up with your training."

I gaped at her, my heart swelling with excitement and gratitude. "I will. I'll write as often as I can —if not daily, then every other day. I promise."

Mommy gave me a thin smile. "I trust you, sweetheart. And this generation wasn't anywhere near as bad as my mother's generation. We will, of course, have to ask Tsunade-sama's permission, but I don't see why not."

"Can we ask now?" I asked.

"I don't see why not."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

In exchange for a three-year, paid, training absence, I was to write to the Hokage once a month and my mother once a week. I was to make multiple stops between a certain time period with old friends of my mother's _and_ if I wasn't back in three years, I would be declared a defected shinobi and hunted down. While that was going on, I would also be running errands on behalf of Tsunade —officially I was actually on a long-term C-Rank mission where I was running as an envoy across the land.

I was also leaving the same day as Naruto and Sasuke, after they left.

But they wouldn't know that.

Somehow, I doubted they would be quite as accepting as my mother was about my journey; the same went for Kakashi. So it would be hush-hush for now, like it was hush-hush with Papa and Ino. I planned on leaving a note and fleeing. It seemed like the safest idea.

"So," I said, staring at the two of them. Jiraiya and Kakashi stood a little behind them, both packed and ready to go. "So."

"We'll miss you," Naruto said, coming forward and hugging me.

I gripped him tightly. "I'll miss you, too."

Sasuke grunted, but shifted a little closer. Naruto and I exchanged a glance before pulling him into the group hug.

"Don't die," I told them both.

"Don't talk to strangers," Sasuke returned.

"Don't get raped," Naruto said.

Sasuke and I stared at him.

Naruto gave us a sheepish smile. "Sorry?"

I chuckled. "Okay. I'll see you all in three years."

"Definitely," Naruto assured me.

"Three years," Sasuke agreed.

"Bye-bye."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I shifted the backpack slightly, taking a tentative step outside Konoha. After saying all my goodbyes, I was finally setting off.

I stared at the long road before me and felt a wave of uncertainty come over me.

But it was gone in a flash.

I took another step, surer this time. And another, and another, and another.

I was doing it. I was _really_ doing it.

I was leaving Konoha to train to get stronger. I would complete my Fūinjutsu training, perfect my new jutsu, and find my own sensei.

I was going to do this.

A smile lit up my face.

And for a while, I wouldn't let the past control me.

_(Smile, smile)_


	23. Arc IX - Returning

Two figures moved at a casual pace down the long dirt road. The smallest of the figures walked with a small skip in her step, while the other figure kept a more relaxed posture. The two were talking, but whatever words they were saying were lost to the wind. The smallest of the figures pulled a dark blue cloak tighter around her as a particularly strong wind blew. Her hood —which she had previously been wearing up— had come down and the opening of her cloak opened up.

Her hair was a pale blonde, curling a bit at the ends, where it fell a little past the top of her shoulders. Her pupil-less blue eyes were lit up with amusement and she smiled adoringly at the figure beside her. She had goggles strapped to the top of her head and wore a white sleeveless vest-shirt along with light blue leggings that ended halfway above her knees, a white skirt covering them. She wore the standard shinobi gloves and shoes and her Konoha _Hitai-ate_ was wrapped around her upper left arm.

She paused in her walking, the second figure pausing as well. Though the wind carried away the majority of the conversation, some words were able to be picked out.

"Sensei?" She asked, tilting her head.

The figure — _Sensei_ — paused, turning to face her.

"Mn?"

"You have—leaf—hair." She motioned towards the figure's rather light-colored hair.

He paused, tilting his head and lifting a black gloved hand, plucking a leaf from his hair and eying it. He laughed quietly.

The figure released his hold on the leaf, using his hand instead to affectionately pat the top of the girl's head. Immediately, her face took on a reddish hue —causing the male to laugh once again— and she looked down at the ground, smiling shyly.

The two conversed again for a brief moment before restarting their trek.

It didn't take long before the two found themselves standing at the Village of the Leaf front gates. Immediately, the Chūnin noticed their presence.

The first one beamed brightly. "Welcome back, Nao-kun and—"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** If you could have your own personal butler (think like Sebastian from Black Butler, or Alfred from Batman) out of any of the Naruto cast, who would it be?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	24. Arc IX - Sensei

**Intermission – Omniscient – 1**

It hadn't been even a full day ago that Aō had received the Byakugan. Fresh out of surgery, Aō was accompanied by Mei as the two moved quietly through the silent streets of Kirigakure.

It had been Zabuza who had set the turn of events. Ever since Zabuza's defection and attempted assassination, the shinobi and kunoichi of Kirigakure had been growing more and more restless. Whispers of their Mizukage being influenced by an outside source had presented the most terrifying thought. And as time passed on, the once quickly dismissed whispers were rapidly becoming considered by _all_ shinobi in Kirigakure.

Mei, the current leader of the resistance, was torn on what to do. On one hand, she adored her village —even if it hadn't been the greatest morality wise— and it had been drilled into her to be unfailingly loyal to their Mizukage. It was true that Yagura —their current Mizukage— wasn't much younger than herself, and that he was brutally efficient in his rule, but still.

The very thought of someone manipulating their Kage was a painful one to hear. No shinobi or kunoichi wanted to find such a fatal flaw in their Kage, and no shinobi or kunoichi wanted to hear how they were being manipulated by an outside force.

It had been a secret, getting Aō to receive the Byakugan. No one else except those closest in the resistance knew about the surgery.

It was all a precaution. A test. Aō would casually glance at Yagura and either confirm or deny the rumors. Either way, a plan would be made. They had to act quickly to ensure Kirigakure did not fall to ruin and the other villages took control.

Mei knocked politely at Yagura's office door.

There was a significant pause before Yagura's voice beckoned for them to enter.

The two entered the office, pausing slightly before kneeling before their Kage.

Yagura's expression did not change, nor did his tone. He was perfectly blank, as he had been ever since he took up the mantle of Mizukage.

"Mizukage-sama," Mei whispered, "we have completed our mission and eagerly await our next one."

"For now, there will be no next one," Yagura said swiftly. "I will call you when I have need of your services again. You are dismissed."

The two waited a moment before straightening up and exiting the room. As the two left the building, Mei glanced to Aō and winced.

His expression was darkened and twisted with a sort of bitter sadness. He glanced at her, faltering in his footsteps.

In a pained voice, he said, "The whispers are true."

Mei felt her heart constrict.

. . .

. .

.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"It's good to be back home," I said, smiling brightly at my sensei. He turned to glance at me, smirking in response.

"I suppose you would find that to be true, though we haven't been gone all that long," He said, his tone formal.

"Perhaps," I allowed. "We should probably head to Hokage-sama's office and inform her of our return. Then, if you don't mind, I would like to stop by and see if sis is home."

He peered at me. "That sounds acceptable. However, afterwards, I would like to continue your training."

Inwardly, I winced. As much as I adored my sensei, he was meticulously brutal. Then again, I wouldn't expect any less from him, as that was how he was raised. What constituted as brutal to myself —and probably my friends and family— was what was expected of him at my age. I think what really hurt the most about training was his openly taunting and snide attitude during it.

"Hai," I muttered dejectedly.

He smirked tauntingly at me.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Ah, you're home," Tsunade said as the two of us stood in her office.

"It's wonderful to be home," I said, smiling warmly at Tsunade.

"Tsunade-hime," my sensei greeted, dipping his head in her direction.

"Yagura-san," Tsunade returned, giving him an amused smile. "How's your.?"

"Still muddled," Yagura admitted, his voice clipped as he showed clear distaste, but he kept his posture and tone completely formal, as always.

Tsunade nodded, frowning thoughtfully. "We'll have to set up another appointment, then."

"Indeed. Nao-chan?"

"Oh!" I squeaked, recalling what my sensei and I had discussed prior to entering Konoha. "Tsunade-sama, I request the right to take the Jōnin test in hopes of advancing to the Jōnin position myself."

"Granted. You can take the test within a week," Tsunade said.

"Acceptable," Yagura murmured. "If that is all, Tsunade-hime, I request permission for dismissal. My student and I require time to train for the upcoming test and she is most anxious to be reunited with her... _family_."

"Granted," Tsunade dismissed. ". Welcome home."

I smiled brightly at her before Yagura grabbed me by the collar of my outfit and proceeded to drag me out of the room.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Sister!" I shouted excitedly, rushing towards Ino and hugging her tightly. In many ways, I was more intellectually advanced than my sister, but she would always remain my beloved big sister and I would always adore her as such. Ino squealed and squeezed me tightly, lifting me off the ground and spinning me around in our home.

Papa was watching the scene with an amused expression. When Ino was finished hugging the life out of me, he opened his arms. I gladly entered them, hugging him tightly around the waist. He kissed the top of my head. "Welcome home, Nao-chan."

I only nodded, hugging him more tightly.

Yagura cleared his throat and I pulled back, blushing and smiling sheepishly.

"Hello again, Yagura-san," Papa said, his expression blank and voice clipped.

"Inoichi-san." Yagura returned, "As I have promised, I have returned your youngest daughter in good health."

"It would appear that way," Papa replied, staring evenly at him before glancing down at me and smiling gently. "Will you be staying with us, Nao-chan, or.?"

I glanced over at Yagura, weighing my options. "I think it would be more prudent if I stayed in the Uchiha District, at least for the moment."

Ino glanced between Yagura and myself before she smirked. "Right. Of course."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"The Uchiha District has their own training grounds and I am certain Sasuke-kun wouldn't mind if we used them," I said, walking beside Yagura as the two of us made our way to said district. "Not to mention the district is still relatively empty. but. will you be alright, Yagura-sensei?"

Yagura shot me an annoyed look, snapping, "Are you implying that I'm not mature enough to handle this?"

I pursed my lips. "That's not what I'm implying at all, Sensei, and you know it. If the subject is too sore, then I am certain Papa would make room for us at the clan compound, or Naruto wouldn't mind if we stayed in his apartment if you are really disinclined to stay at the compound."

Yagura sighed, rubbing his temple. "I will be fine, Nao."

"If you're certain, Yagura-sensei," I said softly, peering up at him from under my bangs.

Yagura pointedly ignored my worried look, choosing instead to quicken the pace.

 _Stubborn man,_ I thought fondly

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

.

. .

. . .

**Intermission – Nao – 1**

I hesitated a brief moment before making up my mind and finished releasing the chakra cuffs from the boy's wrists. He was staring up at the sky, his eyes glazed over and he didn't seem to notice me at all. He looked scarcely a few years older than myself, and for one reason or another, I felt my heart quicken when I stared at him.

It was true that he was attractive, incredibly so, but I knew that wasn't why my heart and stomach were fluttering. I _knew_ him. The memories. It was why I had rescued him. I _knew_ him and I feared for his life back there. It was why I had been compelled to—

Tentatively, shyly, I placed my hand on his cheek, tapping lightly. He snapped out of whatever daze he was in, blinking owlishly up at me.

"Hello," I said softly, my eyes wide with concern as I took in his unreadable expression.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice soft.

"I'm. You can call me Nao," I supplied. "Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" He tilted his head as he slowly sat up. His eyes then widened as he took in the massive amounts of bodies surrounding us. "What happened here?"

"You don't. you don't remember?" I asked, feeling confused at that.

"I don't." He paused, his brow furrowed and his lips turning down. "I don't... Who am I? Do you... Do you know who I am?"

(Yes.)

"I don't know," I answered hesitantly. "I. I think I know your name."

He turned to me, looking at me expectantly.

I closed my eyes, screwing up my face in concentration. Vaguely I could make out the shape of a—

"Kame," I said.

"A turtle?" Kame asked, tilting his head again. "I don't know if I like that name."

"I'm sorry," I responded, ducking my head in embarrassment.

"It's alright. You're not the one who named me," Kame assured me. "I... Well, I don't suppose you know where my home is.?"

I shook my head.

He frowned, looking away. "I see."

"You can travel with me," I offered shyly.

"Oh? Really? Thank you, that's very kind, Nao-san."

I blushed, looking away and smiling. "It's nice to have company. Come on, my camp isn't too far from here, Kame-san."

"Alright."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also have more fanart! Huzzah! Link on profile or you can check out my (Charredblossom16) favorites or ainoyl's gallery on Deviantart.
> 
>  **Question:** If YOU had to be the butler / maid / servant to any of the Naruto cast, who would you rather be a servant to? And who would you definitely NOT want to be a servant to?


	25. Arc IX - Saigo-no-Shudan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind artwork drawn by Lammington on deviantART.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Interlude – Omniscient– 2**

"We cannot allow him as our Kage anymore," a Kiri shinobi declared.

Mei nodded in agreement, staring at the large mass of faces before her. "I know and I understand, but we have to tread carefully. We cannot allow the one who is controlling Yagura to know of our plan. Not to mention eliminating Yagura will be difficult."

"Then what do you propose we do?"

Mei glanced towards Chōjūrō, her gaze uncertain. As always, the young boy gave her a shy and warm smile. She smiled in return immediately, and when she glanced back at the audience, she felt a plan slowly form in her mind. ". Here's what we do."

Meanwhile in the shadows, two yellow eyes stared unblinkingly at Mei, listening intently.

. . .

. .

.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

" _Nao!_ " Yagura barked, seething with irritation. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

Blearily, I cracked my eyes open, staring at the looming form of Yagura, my mind muddled from sleep. It took a heartbeat or two before I quickly realized what was going on and what was about to happen. I let out a startled shriek, leaping out of bed and making a mad dash for my clothes.

"I'm sorry!" I cried out, leaping into the closet, grabbing my change of clothes and changing as quickly as I could. "Oh God, I'm so sorry!"

Yagura seethed and in each of his hands, he held a cup of ice water and a cup of boiling water. I knew from experience that had I not woken up and made a quick move, he would have dumped the boiling water on me first, followed by the ice water.

Yagura _hated_ it when someone wasn't punctual. It pissed him off to no end and he wasn't afraid to show it. I knew that from experience as well, any time I was late for a training practice —even by so much as a _minute_ — the practice was twice as brutal. At times, he made Gai and Lee's training seem _normal_ and _nice_. When I had finished getting dressed, I stepped out of the closet, bowing lowly and still having a sort of mini-panic attack.

Yagura eyed me another moment before he set the cups down on the nightstand. "I will allow it to slide this once, as I know you were exhausted due to our. _trip_ , and that trip was on my behalf. But Nao, if you so much as—"

"I-I know," I said quickly, too relieved I was forgiven. "I'm sorry, Yagura-sensei."

He snorted. "Whatever. Let's go, little dove."

At the nickname, I felt a small swell of affection. "Hai, Sensei."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A pattern had settled in Konoha, one that hadn't meant to be set into place. Once the others had learned of my return to Konoha, they stopped by on occasion, whisking me (and sometimes Yagura, as well) out for a bite to eat or something entertaining to do. During the day, however, Yagura trained me, as he had for the majority of our journey together. We did not take missions for numerous reasons; the first and most prominent being Yagura, the second being that I was scheduled for a rank test and thus was given leeway, and the third being we were expecting the return of Naruto and Sasuke any moment and I didn't want to be out of the village and risk not seeing them.

After my test —I would receive the results within half a week's time— Yagura and myself headed towards the hospital. It was time for Yagura's appointment and it would be best if I had my bi-annual check-up as well.

The hospital had a sterile smell to it, one that I didn't care too much for. Yagura, as always, kept his face and opinion entirely unreadable and his tone and posture stiff and formal when the nurse directed us.

In the waiting room, we sat quietly side by side until a familiar pinkette entered the rather empty (only Yagura and myself were in it, surprisingly) room. ". Yamanaka-san?"

I stood up, flattening my skirt of wrinkles before I recognized the girl.

"Sakura-san?" I blinked.

The older girl glanced up from her clipboard, her eyes lighting up with recognition. "Nao-chan? Oh, wow. Hello, how have you been?"

Inwardly, I frowned. ". I have been well, and you?"

"Ah, busy," Sakura said, rolling her eyes. "I actually managed to pass with my team, but our sensei didn't let us take the Chūnin Exams for another year. Anyway, after I became a Chūnin, my sensei directed me to the medical corps —she thought I would do some good here— and I took a few classes and. _voilà_." Sakura gave me a smirk. "I'm actually training under Shizune-sensei."

"Congratulations," I murmured, still feeling unsure of how to respond to the girl.

On one hand, she would forever remain as the girl who broke my sister's heart and idiotically chased after Sasuke. She was an annoyance and pest at best in that regard. On the other hand, I truly hadn't seen the girl in _years_ and who knew how much she may or may not have changed since then. It would be irrational for me to judge her upon more childish days.

"I talked to Ino-chan the other day," Sakura continued, unminding of my neutral face, "and she told me you went on a training trip of sorts and that you go back. How cool was that? What was it like?"

"Interesting."

"That's good. Oh, well I suppose we should get to your check-up now, yes? I'll be the one administrating it. Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, Sakura-san."

Sakura smiled brightly at me as Shizune entered the room.

"Kame-san," Shizune said, gesturing towards Yagura. Yagura stood up from his seat.

I frowned slightly, giving him a worried look.

Yagura noticed my look and bristled. He snapped, "Don't give me that look. I can take care of myself quite well, thank you."

I flushed, looking away sheepishly.

Shizune giggled at the exchange. "Don't worry, Nao-chan. I promise to return him in good health."

I only blushed more darkly in response. When those two left, Sakura seemed to be smirking at me.

"What?" I mumbled.

Sakura giggled. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

I frowned in response.

_Lying liar who lies._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Weren't they supposed to be here an _hour_ ago?" Yagura growled, his foot tapping impatiently on the dirt floor.

"Kakashi-sensei has a tendency to, um. show up a little _late_ ," I said slowly, eying Yagura's growing anger. I had a very nasty feeling that he and Kakashi wouldn't get along well. Not at all. Yagura shot me a baleful look.

"I do hope you have no intentions in following your previous sensei's footsteps in _that_ regard."

"No," I admitted truthfully, making sure not to add _because I know you wouldn't stand it and frankly, your temper is scary enough as it is._

Yagura snorted softly, frowning as he stared at the horizon another moment. Another ten minutes passed by as the two of us continued to stand at the front gates of Konoha.

"I am going to kill them," Yagura said lowly.

". Please don't."

Before Yagura could respond, both of us quickly noticed dots on the horizon. Yagura muttered darkly, "About damn time."

As the dots approached, I saw Naruto and Sasuke conversing —mostly Naruto was yelling about something and Sasuke would say something in return, smirking all the while— with Kakashi and Jiraiya in the back, staring at the two Genin with amused expressions.

Naruto was the first to notice me and he gave a shout of joy, cutting off whatever he was saying —yelling— to Sasuke to instead sprint at full speed towards me. I frowned, quickly changing my posture and bracing for impact—

Naruto's arms wrapped around me and I was thrown up into the air as he twirled me around. "Nao-chan! I missed you. How have you been? Did everything go alright? I'm really sorry we had to leave you in Konoha like that."

I laughed joyfully as the others finally reached us. Naruto set me on the ground while Sasuke flicked my nose. I crinkled my nose in distaste at the action, scowling at his smug smirk.

"Sorry, if we had known you were waiting for us, we would have hurried," Kakashi apologized to me, affectionately patting the top of my head. I smiled and blushed at the action.

"It's alright," I instantly forgave them. "It's good to see you all home. And ah. I have some news for you."

"Oh," Jiraiya chuckled, realization dawning on his face. "That's right. I never told you guys."

"Told us what?" Naruto asked curiously.

Jiraiya only snickered in response. "I had to come back to Konoha to, uh. check some things and confirm a few other things. Damn, I wish I had a camera for your responses."

"Why would you want a camera.? What's going on?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

I cleared my throat, drawing attention to myself. "Well, as the two of you are no doubt aware. you two went on a two-year training trip. Not only to help focus solely on your training, but so that way, the Akatsuki and Orochimaru couldn't keep your location pinpointed."

"That's right," Kakashi said. "What about it?"

"I went on a journey of my own."

They stared at me another moment.

"What?" Naruto repeated. ". With who?"

"Originally by myself."

" _What?_ " Kakashi repeated, his eye narrowing.

"Please tell me you're joking," Naruto pleaded, staring at me with a worried expression.

"No and I'm fine," I dismissed his worry. "I wasn't allowed to leave the Fire Country and I had to visit multiple stops along the way. I barely went a week without running into another Konoha shinobi or close ally and friend of Konoha or family member. I was perfectly safe, I could take care of myself, and there was no need for concern."

"How in the hell did Inoichi agree to that?" Kakashi asked incredulously.

"He didn't really get a chance to," I answered.

"Wait, you said _originally_ ," Sasuke said slowly —and Jiraiya snickered once he realized where this conversation was going. "Who traveled with you?"

Yagura cleared his throat.

I turned towards him, smiling nervously at Naruto's, Sasuke's and Kakashi's darkening expressions. "E-Everyone. this is my sensei, Yagura-sama, previously the Mizukage of Kirigakure."

"The same Kage that ordered Zabuza to slaughter his fellow classmates before he was even ten?" Kakashi inquired, his eye narrowed dangerously and his posture stiffening.

"The same Kage that renewed Kirigakure's nickname _Village Hidden in the Bloody Mist_?" Sasuke's own eyes narrowed into slits.

"And the same Kage who was given the title _Red Torrent_?" Naruto took a step forward.

Yagura blinked, his expression showing boredom. ". And?"

"Don't bait them," I sighed tiredly. He shot me a nasty look in return.

"Explain to me why he was allowed to travel with you," Kakashi ordered.

"Isn't he like. 30?"

"I'm twenty-two," Yagura snapped.

"You look _twelve_ ," Naruto jeered.

"Aren't you supposed to be _dead_?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes, I am supposed to be dead," Yagura told him. "My reasons for traveling with Nao remain S-Rank classified information, and my existence remains S-Ranked classified information, as well. I normally wear a mask, but Nao insisted on informing you. _boys_. of the truth. My alias in Konoha is Zonbi Kame."

Naruto snickered at that while Sasuke and Kakashi stared blankly at him. Jiraiya flat out laughed.

"Z-Zombie turtle?" Naruto snickered. "R-Really? Who came up with that?"

With great pains, Yagura muttered, ". Anko-san."

This time Kakashi chuckled while Naruto joined Jiraiya in the laughter. Sasuke sighed, peering at Yagura. ". How long were you traveling with her?"

"We met a month into my journey and I left a day after you," I supplied.

". And your relationship?"

"I'm not a fucking pedophile," Yagura snapped.

"Are you saying she's not cute enough?" Naruto demanded.

"What?!"

"My sister is cute enough to attract thousands of pedophiles," Naruto declared, bringing me in close to him. "Are you saying she _isn't_?"

Yagura flushed. "She's attractive in her own right—"

"So you admit it," Sasuke interrupted smoothly. "You make me sick. Go fantasize about someone else's little sister."

"Guys!" I squeaked, mortified.

Yagura glowered darkly, reaching for his staff. My eyes widened as I realized what was about to happen. I pushed away from Naruto, quickly spreading out my hands and placing one on Yagura's chest and one on Naruto's. "Guys! Stop. _Please_."

". Fine," Naruto muttered.

Sasuke shrugged.

Kakashi continued to eye Yagura. ". I'll be watching you, _Zonbi_ -san."

Yagura sneered. "As if I'm scared of a petty Jōnin."

"Don't bait them," I pleaded. "Please? Can't we all get along.?"

Yagura snorted, his face blanking off as his tone returned to something more formal. "But of course. Now then, I suppose it would be in our best interest to escort you to Tsunade-hime's office. I'm sure she is anxious to see you all again."

"Right," Jiraiya chuckled.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I watched as Naruto and Sasuke tag-teamed to take down Kakashi. Yagura sat beside me, our backs pressed against the tree while I fiddled with my goggles. The strap had come undone somehow and I was having trouble reattaching it. Yagura eyed the fight with a calculated gleam in his eyes.

"What do you think?" Tsunade asked, her voice a low murmur.

"They're definitely skilled," Yagura allowed, his voice monotone. "However, they're both rather aggressive, aren't they? The blond one, while he does pause every now and then, he mostly charges in. Even the other one is aggressive in his own right. While he seems to think out his actions more clearly, he's not even considering a defensive position, focusing solely on offense."

"If you think they're bad now, you should have seen them before we trained them," Jiraiya laughed.

"Yes, well," Yagura said dubiously, "it's still something that will have to be corrected in the future."

"Perhaps," Tsunade mused. "But I'm still impressed."

"I'm sure you are."

Tsunade didn't bother reacting to his comment.

"Nao-chan," Yagura said pleasantly, his tone brightening. I glanced up from my work, tilting my head curiously. "I swear if I ever catch you acting like these two idiots in battle, _I will beat sense into you_."

I gulped. "H-H-Hai, Sensei."

Yagura smiled at me, laughing in amusement at my reaction. He noticed my goggles and deftly removed them from my hands, effortlessly reattaching the strap back to them. I smiled easily as he returned them. "Thank you, Sensei."

Yagura gave a hum in reply, turning back to continue watching the fight.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"I've seen enough," Tsunade called out. Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi froze in their fight before they all flickered to stand before Tsunade. She stared at them another moment before motioning over towards Yagura and myself. Yagura stood up with ease before offering his hand to me. Taking my hand, he pulled me up alongside him and the two of us walked to stand before Tsunade.

"Hamon Yagura, Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto and Yamanaka Nao, from this day forward, you five will make up the specialized team by the name of Saigo-no-Shudan, or SS for short."

I blinked in surprise at that, and I could feel Sasuke and Naruto's confusion as well. _Team Last Resort? What does that mean?_ Kakashi eyed Tsunade for a moment.

"Wasn't the SS a disbanded ANBU corps?" Sasuke inquired.

"In a way, yes. The ANBU Division SS was used as the village's last defense; however, that was before we really had a solid defense and as such, we felt ready to dissolve the Division," Tsunade said, her voice clipped. "There will be more members added to the team, but for the moment, you five will consist of it. The threat of the Akatsuki has grown significantly over the last couple of years."

Tsunade's eyes rested on Yagura. "New developments and information have been brought into light and as such, I and the Clan Heads felt the need to design a team especially suited for the Akatsuki and their members. If you accept your position in this team, you will fall under my orders, and my orders alone. You will abide by the previous ANBU Division SS rules with a few exceptions, and all of you will be forced to take the fast-progression ranking test."

"The fast. what?" Naruto echoed.

"The fast-progression ranking test," Kakashi repeated. "Normally used in time of war when prodigies and well-deserving shinobi deserve to advance a rank, but cannot take the Chūnin Exams due to the war, or something else of the like. I took the test myself and that's how I received my early promotion. However, on the next possible Chūnin Exam, I was forced to take the Exam in order to see if I kept my rank."

"So we'll be Chūnin?" Sasuke inquired.

"Or Jōnin. Whichever rank best suits you," Tsunade said shortly.

"What are the rules that we must abide to?" I asked hesitantly.

"Rule one; you fall under my rule only. The council has no right to influence you whatsoever and you are not allowed to be influenced by them at all. Rule two; any classified information leaked outside of the team will be dealt with as treason of the highest order and the traitor will be executed. Rule three; you will protect Konoha no matter the cost. Choosing not to will be dealt with as treason of the highest order."

Kakashi nodded his head slowly. "Not the real ANBU rules, then?"

"No," Tsunade said. "Not everyone is ready for that kind of commitment to Konoha."

"So what do we do now?" Naruto asked hesitantly. "Do we. Aw, can we get our own ANBU gear or something? Aw, come on, please?"

Tsunade frowned, looking hesitant. ". If you want to design your own uniform, you can submit it to me for reviewing and I will _think_ on it."

"Ino," I said immediately.

"She better make it look kick-ass," Naruto said sternly.

"She will," I assured them. ". I kind of want a cool uniform, too."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, while Naruto nodded empatically.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"So you want me to design. a completely badass uniform for a special Division you guys are in?" Ino inquired, peering at me and Naruto. Naruto nodded his head and beamed while Sasuke cursed from behind.

Sasuke actually accepted Shikamaru's shoji challenge.

He was seriously regretting that decision.

"Can you do it?" Naruto asked eagerly.

"Of course I can," Ino sniffed. "Don't underestimate me. Damn, I'm jealous. I want to be part of this team, too."

"You'd have to get Chō and Shika to agree with you," I said. "There's no way Tsunade-sama will be willing to break up the trio."

". Damn, that's going to be hard. I'll do it, though. Somehow. you watch."

"I'm sure you will," I said, smiling brightly at her. "And I'll be waiting for you."

Ino smiled adoringly at me, reaching over and pulling me into a hug. I giggled, hugging her back as tightly. "I love you, little sister."

"Love you, too, sis."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude – Nao – 2**

It had been two days since Kame began traveling with me. He still hadn't regained his memory and at times, he seemed dazed and confused. In a lot of ways, he reminded me of how Sasuke was in his catatonic days back after the massacre. It was worrying and rather depressing seeing the boy act as such. He really couldn't have been that much older than myself and it pained me to see someone so young already have something so traumatic happen to them that it left them in an amnesiac state.

Night had fallen and I had set up camp. Kame was using my spare sleeping bag and set of clothes until we could reach another village and purchase his own clothing and such. We hadn't bothered setting up a watch, as I had set up an alerting seal around us. A bonus, I supposed, of being forced to learn fūinjutsu.

The moon was high above the sky when I was awakened by a startled shout. My eyes flew open and I shot upright, staring around the camp with sharp eyes.

When nothing seemed dangerous, and no one seemed to be in danger, I frowned. It was then that I heard another whimper.

Turning my head, I noticed that it was _Kame_ who had given the shout. He was half sprawled out of the sleeping bag, sweating heavily and his face was screwed up in pain. My eyes flew open and I lurched out of my bag, quickly hurrying over to him.

before I was about to shake him awake, I paused, remembering what my sister and mother had done for me when _I_ had a nightmare.

Instead of waking him up immediately, I slowly roused him awake by gently petting his hair and whispering softly in his ear. His thrashing slowly died down as he gradually returned to the waking world. When his eyes opened up blearily, there was raw terror in them.

". A-Are you okay?" I asked hesitantly, still petting his hair.

"Eyes," Kame whispered hoarsely. "Red eyes. everywhere. I can't. I can't ever _move_. I can't ever _speak_. I'm. I'm trapped. Why? Why was I trapped? I don't. Why would he.?"

He faltered, his eyes screwing closed and he gave a great shudder.

". Go back to sleep, Kame-kun," I whispered. "I promise to keep away the eyes."

His eyes snapped open and he looked at me, madness and hysteria creeping into his gaze. "Swear?"

"I swear," I swore.

He swallowed roughly, nodding to himself. "O-Okay. I will. Yeah. Thank you. Nao-chan."

I smiled shyly as he closed his eyes. It wasn't long before he drifted back into sleep.

But I didn't leave his side for a long while.

After all, I did swear to keep the bad dreams away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** Favorite summoned animal?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	26. Arc X - Partners

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

**Interlude – Omniscient – 3**

"I see," Tobi whispered quietly. "How interesting. I suppose it was only a matter of time before they discovered the truth. In all honesty, I'm a bit surprised it has taken them so long, but. no matter. I have no use for controlling Yagura anymore. I suppose. Yes, I do believe it's time to cut my ties loose."

Tobi paced back and forth, his tone a gentle musing. "I will need to make sure he remembers nothing of his time under the genjutsu, simple enough. But I must also ensure his death. After all, if he's dead, then collecting the Sanbi will be that much easier. But I suppose it doesn't really matter in the long run. No matter, no matter. I shall. yes, yes, that will do. That will do fine. When they begin their trap, I shall release my entire hold of the genjutsu, and with it, I shall lock away his memories. He will be disoriented and surely fall easily into their trap. Yes. Yes, that will do nicely."

"Whatever you say, Tobi," Zetsu said, his yellow eyes staring at Tobi unblinkingly.

. . .

. .

.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I poured another cup of hot tea for myself and Yagura. The two of us were seated along the porch of the Uchiha main house. Sasuke and Naruto were in the middle of yet another sparring match and Kakashi was off somewhere. more than likely standing in front of the stone again. After pouring the tea, I set it down and sat down across from Yagura, taking a small rice ball and biting into it.

"Are they always so.?" Yagura seemed to struggle for the right word.

"Yes," I answered immediately. "They are rather reckless and undisciplined when it comes to each other. They adore fighting each other, though I don't think I'll ever understand why."

Yagura contemplated a moment before he replied, "In a way, I can understand the appeal of fighting, but even I wouldn't want to fight as constantly as those two."

I nodded in acceptance of this, mulling over my next choice of words. "What do you suppose our first mission will be like?"

"More than likely we won't be called for anything until the Akatsuki make their move," Yagura said blandly.

"I suppose so," I allowed, "but none of us have really worked together. Well, I mean, you haven't worked together with the others before and they haven't worked with you. Shouldn't there be. I don't know. more basic missions to give us an opportunity to grow in teamwork?"

"She mentioned that there would be more members," Yagura pointed out. "Perhaps they don't want us to set ourselves in a specific team dynamic until the full team is assembled."

"That's possible," I agreed, "but it's a little insulting that she doesn't think we're flexible enough to ad our teamwork to allow another person in."

"Or perhaps she's complimenting us by not giving us extra missions to practice our teamwork because she believes we can handle it fine," Yagura mused.

"Perhaps."

as the words left my mouth, there was a cry of a hawk that circled around and above us. We all paused in what we were doing.

"Looks like we're being summoned," Yagura commented.

I stood up.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Gaara's been what?" Naruto burst out, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Shit! We have to go help him! Now!"

"That's why I called you here," Tsunade said severely, her face grave. "Due to certain circumstances, Konoha hasbeen provided the opportunity to garner knowledge concerning the Akatsuki, knowledge that hasn't been able to be ascertained by the rest of the villages. Because Sunagakure knows this, they have especially requested us, and more importantly, especially requested you."

"Us?" Sasuke echoed, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. "What do you. the team. what exactly is our purpose?"

Tsunade gave Sasuke an appraising look, while Naruto shifted on his feet. I could still feel the vibrating anger that seemed to roll off of him. I had the strongest urge to place a comforting hand on him at the moment, but this was a formal debriefing and such actions would have been frowned upon in protocol.

"I made this team because each of you are especially suited to take on the Akatsuki, either from first hand-experience, the desire to target a specific member, pre-possessed knowledge, or because the Akatsuki will most certainly be targeting you. That is the purpose of this team, and that is exactly why I will be sending you five to the Village of the Sand, along with one of my apprentices. Your orders are this: you are to protect my apprentice, you are to rescue the Kazekage at all costs, and you are to eliminate or, preferably, apprehend any if not all Akatsuki targets. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," we chorused, while Yagura gave a small nod.

"My apprentice will remain in Sand to tend to the wounded, and the rest of you will move out immediately."

"Yes, ma'am," we chorused again.

"Each of you grab a briefing on your way out. Dismissed," Tsunade said.

We left.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

It took exactly five minutes for all of us to be packed and ready to go at the front gate of the Leaf. No words were exchanged, as we each filed into the correct formations. The apprentice Tsunade had chosen was surprisingly Haruno Sakura. As the orders were written on the briefing, each of us paired up with one another.

I was partnered with Yagura, simply because I was the only one who had enough experience with him that we could work well enough together. Kakashi was paired with Sakura because he had enough experience in the field that he knew how to ad himself to better match Sakura's own style, and he had the most experience (aside from Yagura) in bodyguard type situations. Sasuke and Naruto were partnered together, not only because they were simply all that was left, but because they worked best together, as proven many times before.

Each duo had to be prepared to work on their own, separate from the whole group. The plan was for each pairing to be able to hold their own against a single member of the Akatsuki at a time —as it was known that the Akatsuki always traveled in pairs— with the last pairing hanging back in the shadows, stepping in only when absolutely necessary.

From the information we had ascertained —information I was privy to, seeing how the main source felt necessary to inform me, as well. not to mention I was there in the beginning— gave us the knowledge that the two Akatsuki members pursuing the Kazekage were more than likely Deidara and Sasori.

Kakashi and Sakura were instructed to head directly to the Village of the Sand to assist them in whatever way possible before Kakashi would leave Sakura behind and move to support us. Sasuke and Naruto were to track down one of the Akatsuki members, Sasori, while Yagura and myself were to track down Deidara. Due to Sasuke's apprenticeship to Kakashi, he had a fair knowledge of tracking —he was by no means a specialist, but he could track well enough— and Yagura had had his own tracking training from his time in the Mist-ANBU. For the most part, the four of us would be traveling together, with Yagura and Sasuke in the lead with the sole purpose of tracking down Gaara and our chosen Akatsuki members.

This would save us time, as we would be bypassing Sand entirely.

However, it would be a hard journey. There would be no time for proper rest and it would test our endurance and stamina, especially considering we would more than likely have the fight of our lives once we reached the end.

No words were spoken or exchanged when Sakura arrived —her face set in a somber expression— and the silence continued as we took our leave of the Leaf.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

After the split off with Kakashi and Sakura, the four of us continued at a fast and hard pace. For a long while, no one bothered speaking.

"What do you think Granny meant by ascertaining information?" Naruto finally asked in the silence. I glanced over at him, finding his normally bright cerulean blue eyes had taken on a reddish tint to them. My eyes drifted over to Yagura's small form. He wore his standard uniform —long, black shinobi pants, a standard black, shinobi, long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves expanded a bit at the end. His gloves, which only covered his fingers and half of his palms, were a pale, darkish-green, and he had the same colored cloth wrapped around the lower half of his face and neck like a scarf. He had his black hood up, and wore a completely blank, white mask.

"You and Sasuke-chan were placed in intensive training, were you not?" Yagura drawled.

Sasuke gave Yagura a narrow-eyed glare, showing how much he disliked Yagura's honorific. I felt a tired sigh build up inside of me, but I did not release it. I knew how Yagura only used the honorific to a.) get a rise out of them b.) to (rather childishly) assert his authority c.) take a better measurement of Sasuke —testing his temperament and seeing what made him tick.

I knew he would be doing damn near anything to drive Naruto and Sasuke (and Kakashi) to the edge, to get a good feel of their character. Ever since. well, ever since the incident that drove him to us in the first place. he'd become more paranoid. He couldn't —or rather, he wouldn't take my word for them point-blank. He needed to grasp their characters for himself.

It was the same as it was in the beginning, with Papa, Ino, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Anko, Ibiki. well. It was the same with everyone Yagura knew that knew he was Yagura.

He once pissed Tsunade off enough that she threw a punch at him. He dodged it with ease, of course, but it was the thought that mattered the most to him.

"That's right," Naruto replied, apparently not noticing the honorific.

"The two of you, three including Kakashi, were essentially plucked out of the real world to focus on your training —no distractions, right? You must remember that time where you had to travel with Sasuke-chan and Kakashi-san because Jiraiya was called back to Konoha, right?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "You mean. he was called back because of the information?"

"It's related, at the very least."

Naruto fell silent again.

Sasuke glanced over at Yagura, his expression carefully neutral. "You seem to know a lot about the situation."

Yagura tilted his head. "I suppose you could say that I have a. unique perspective on it."

"Why are you here?" Sasuke asked.

"Not now, Sasuke-kun," I said softly. "You don't trust Yagura-sensei, and Yagura-sensei doesn't trust you yet. Before you know —before either of you know— the truth of the situation at hand, you need to trust him. You wouldn't want Yagura-sensei to know about your past, would you?"

Sasuke stared at me for a long while, his face thoughtful. ". I understand. I don't care too much for it, but I can acknowledge the reasons."

"Thank you," I said, relief clear in my voice. I may have only procrastinated the inevitable story, but from the pleased sidelong glance Yagura gave me, I felt like I made the right choice.

"I take it the two of you have reviewed your knowledge on Sasori?" Yagura asked, changing the subject."

"Poison-user, puppeteer, nuke-nin from Sand, S-Ranked, prefers long distance attacks, has made some attempt at immortality and is considered successful in the sense that he doesn't age (explanation unknown), tactical." Sasuke listed off.

"His poisons will have little effect on me, or at least in the long run," Naruto grunted. "I'm immune to all common poisons, my metabolism and insane immune system from my chakra makes it hard to poison me. Not impossible, 'course, but hard."

"Don't assume he'll be using regular poisons," Yagura said sharply.

"Wasn't gonna, was sayin'," Naruto snapped, irritation flowing off of him.

I kicked hard off of one branch, leaping above Naruto and flipping in the process. My hand, palm flat, touched the top of his head in both a warning, and soothing gesture. I landed beside him on the next branch, and Naruto shot me a mixed look —one that conveyed annoyance and affection.

"And you two?" Sasuke returned.

"Deidara," I answered shortly, "is a long-ranged nuke-nin from Rock, specializing in explosives using clay of sorts. He has limited amount of clay, and the majority of the clay can be assumed to have been used up in his fight with Gaara. Reports from Sand also claim he'll be missing an arm."

"Which will limit the number of his jutsus significantly," Yagura said.

I kicked off hard from the tree branch, starting to feel the distinct burn in my upper thighs. Tree-jumping was an exercise in and of itself, honestly. It didn't help that I didn't have a developed body, and that I was starting to enter that stage where everything got wonky.

"We have a while longer before we reach them," Yagura said, "but we're starting to reach their designated range. Everyone, suppress your chakra, now."

It took a handful of seconds, but I was able to condense and hide my chakra. Naruto had to hold up his hands to form the Crane seal for several minutes before he was able to suppress his massive reserves. Yagura and Sasuke finished before me.

From what the information gathered claimed, the Akatsuki member, Zetsu, had a distinct range point he would keep around the extraction point. Anything that held human-level and above chakra, he would be able to sense and he would then investigate. For the most part, he would randomly move about, as well, having no set pattern. In order to get the upper-hand on them, not only did we need to suppress our chakra to below-human level, but we had to have a helluva lot of luck, pardon my language.

Knowing that silence was key, once again, we lapsed into it.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

The four of us landed before a large stone, eyeing the tag planted on it.

"Gaara should be behind that rock," Yagura said quietly. "Everyone, take a moment. If you need a soldier pill, use it now. that seal. we don't have enough people to safely break it from the outside. However, once we get in, we can destroy it with ease there."

I wasted no time in popping in a pill, swallowing it roughly. Sasuke debated a moment before doing the same. Naruto didn't bother, and I didn't expect him or Yagura to. Already, I could feel the dull aching in my legs subside and my chakra stores replenish at a faster rate. Yagura stared at me for a minute before tilting his head.

I nodded my head in return, pulling my goggles over my eyes. "Ready."

"Very well. Naruto-chan, Sasuke-chan, this will be your first time traveling with Nao-chan, yes?" Yagura asked, a mocking edge in his voice.

"Don't be stupid—"

"What do you mean? You know we were on the same Genin team," Sasuke cut in.

"Sasuke-kun," I said softly, "do you remember the second part of our first Chūnin Exams together? when Orochimaru was about to give you the Mark.?"

"You. you were far away," Sasuke said quietly, frowning. ". You said a while ago that you would develop a second ability, right?"

I nodded. ". Yagura-sensei found out a way to cultivate it and bring it out so I could use it. It's. it's a sort of teleportation ability."

"That's amazing, Nao-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, beaming at me.

My eyes trailed downcast. ". Not. not really."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"Just. you'll see. For one thing. for one thing stay close to me. Don't let me out of your sight. I won't be able to see, hear, or feel you, and you won't be able to hear or feel me, or see anyone else. You'll only see me and I'll seem far away to you. stay focused on me and don't stop moving. Under no circumstances are you to stop. And keep moving with me. Don't stray from the path, okay?"

At my harsh tone, both boys exchanged glances.

"We understand," Sasuke said carefully, "anything else?"

"Time is different in there than it is out here. Only a second will pass out here, and it may seem like hours in there," I whispered, recalling my own experience with the Void. "Are you ready?"

"We are," Naruto said.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the soft beat of my heart. A moment passed before I could feel the familiar cold twirl inside the pit of my stomach. It grew and grew, wrapping me in its coldness until I let out a small breath. When I opened my eyes, I was no longer in my usual plane.

Blackness stretched around me, suffocating, harsh, cruel, lonely.

I could hear the sound of the ocean.

I swallowed roughly, feeling the normal emotions of panic starting to set in. I hated this place. I hated this technique. It drained me, both emotionally and physically to enter the world, because the blackness —the darkness— and the sounds I heard, all of it was based off of my fears.

This world was my fears.

No one else had had my ability before in my family. Everything I learned about it was either through damn good guesswork or trial-and-error. This ability was a projection of my fear on that day, on that horror and panic and absolute break-down. Chakra, that unbalanced and raw substance, could do anything it set its mind to. The only limits were the user's imagination, essentially. It was how I could turn lightning into something cold that froze things, it was how the bijū even existed, how the Rinnegan was formed.

When that moment occurred, I was frantic, begging for something to happen. My sheer will and drive, coupled with my given insanity at that moment, stretched and —there really was no other way to put this— broke my chakra. It did what I wanted it to do, it did what I needed it to do, but it didn't do it in a normal way, in a safe or even good way. It derived from my feelings of fear, panic and pain, and because of that, it itself embodied that.

It was my own personal hell, if you will.

Today it was the standard blackness with the sound of the ocean —as it was most days. Sometimes. sometimes, though, I'd get really unlucky and I'd be walking through a field of corpses, with someone familiar crying a distance from me, unable to change or help them.

The only good thing that came from the technique was the teleportation, and the fact that no one, save myself, saw or heard anything. To them, it would be a never ending blackness, with me walking ahead of them at a steady pace. They would, however, feel my fear. They would sense my panic and my pain, but it wasn't anything. it wasn't anything horrible.

As I exited the end of the portal, I did not pay special attention to the others exiting behind me. I knew they would have paler faces than usual, and they would be looking at me with expressions that I didn't want to deal with right then and there. Instead, I chose to take in the scene before me.

I could see Gaara quite clearly, a floating unconscious body with red wisps of chakra pouring out of his eyes, mouth, and nose, his soft, low groans barely reaching my ears. There seemed to be this large statue, although in the darkness, I could only vaguely make out the shape of the upper half of a sort of humanoid figure. Its hands were held up in the air, fingers stretched above and on the tip of each little finger was a figure. The figures were distorted, almost like a sort of genjutsu-projection. Each one was familiar to me, in a sort of nagging sense. Two of the figures, however, were solid.

Sasori and Deidara.

My fingers twitched and through my peripheral vision, I saw Sasuke place a warning hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Nao, on the count of three, destroy the ceiling. Naruto, in the same instant, you go for Gaara. Sasuke and I will cover you. One. Two. Three!"

I lurched up into the air, my right hand glowed a dull white and a low hum entered the clearing, immediately alerting the Akatsuki to our presence. I could hear a shout of surprise from several of them, but I paid them little heed. I threw my Tōketsu-Raiton Senbon, a variation of my signature jutsu, Tōketsu-Raiton. It took the better part of a year after I left on my journey to finally complete the jutsu, and since then under Yagura's guidance, I had been refining and creating variations of it. I had my standard katana form, whip form, projectile form (senbon and kunai), and the latest one —time effect. The best way to describe it would have to be a bomb. It was Yagura's idea, after seeing my jutsu blow up in my face once. He wondered if I could control it enough to blow it up at will, whenever I desired.

That had been a very painful variation to recreate, not only because I kept blowing it up too soon (and more often than not, was caught in the explosion), but because every time I had messed up, Yagura whacked me with his staff, citing that pain was the best way to make sure I remembered something.

Brutal. Painful.

But efficient.

The senbon, white and bright, flew towards the ceiling of the cave —lighting the entire way— before digging into the rock. I drew my hand —it was still glowing white, signalling the connection— and formed the Yin sign. The senbon glowed even brighter, bright enough that my eyes instinctively watered before the humming intensified and everything was engulfed in a bright light. I heard the rocks freeze quickly, the crackling sound they emitted before they shattered.

Light poured into the cave, shining down on the scene below. I saw that Naruto was holding Gaara in his arms and that he had leapt backwards towards me. Yagura and Sasuke both fell back to stand before Naruto and Gaara, positioning themselves between us and the Akatsuki.

"Get rid of them."

My eyes flickered to the voice, a crackling sound layering it.

And suddenly the strange projections were gone, leaving behind the only real Akatsuki members.

"Well, well, well, what a hassle, un," the taller one of the two drawled, straightening up. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to quietly give the jinchūriki back?"

"Like hell we will!" Naruto snarled.

Yagura flickered towards Naruto. Naruto gave Yagura a vaguely irritated look before handing Gaara over to him. Yagura and I exchanged glances before the two of us leapt out of the cave, leaving Naruto and Sasuke behind.

From the information, we knew that out of the two of them, Deidara was the most mobile and thus the most likely to follow. Sasori, while agile in battle, wasn't the pursuing type, as it didn't fit his profile, nor his abilities.

Sure enough, not long after we began our run into the forest, did I notice a strange bird flying after us.

"Oi! You cowards, why don't you come back here and fight me, un?"

Neither of us responded to his taunting, choosing instead to travel a bit farther.

_Wait until he starts dropping bombs on us —let him waste what little clay he has left._

Yagura's words echoed in my mind as my spine tingled in a cold sensation. Immediately, I leapt up and to the right, watching with wide eyes as the spot where I had once been in exploded in a burning glory. I flipped backwards, feeling that same sixth sense inside of me and I kicked off the nearest tree branch. The force of the explosion behind me rocketed me forward and I had to somersault, rolling with the extra force to avoid losing control of my movement and direction. My feet landed on another tree.

Yagura landed beside me, shifting Gaara over his shoulder. ". We won't be able to hide under the tree cover for long. How much longer do you think it will take before Kakashi arrives?"

I did a quick calculation in my head, making the assumption that Kakashi's speed hadn't changed too much in the last couple years. ". If everything went according to plan, he should be here within minutes, give or take a few."

"I see," Yagura said.

Kakashi was one of the fastest people I knew when he was not weighed down by others, and Sand wasn't too far. The only person I knew who was faster than him was Gai. he was not at the age where he'd start declining in speed; if anything he had gotten faster.

"Then all we can do is continue to dodge and hope your previous sensei lives up to his name," Yagura said, before he kicked off from the branch.

I followed behind him.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Yo."

"Excellent timing," Yagura said, landing on the very same tree branch Kakashi stood on and handing him Gaara's unconscious body. Kakashi shifted him over his arms, glancing over to me.

"I take it you two can handle yourselves here?" Kakashi asked, his tone light.

"Of course," Yagura dismissed. "Now get moving. Nao, it's time we put an end to this idiot."

"Yes, sir," I said, and the two of us leapt out of the cover of trees and up into the air. Meanwhile, I knew Kakashi would begin the rest of the journey back to Sand, where Sakura would be waiting for him.

Yagura's hands flew into the Dragon, then Tiger signs before he bellowed, "Suiton: Shishu Gorugon!"

Water blew out of his mouth at a torrent speed, multiplying and growing as far as I could see. It looked like a monstrous wave one would see when a giant explosion landed upon a lake. We both landed on top of the waters, and Deidara circled above us.

"Oi, where'd the jinchūriki go, un?"

"Come and find out, woman," Yagura taunted.

Deidara's eyes bulged and his face took on a flushed complexion. "You're going to regret saying that, un!"

"I doubt that," Yagura muttered, his hands clasping together and I ran towards him. My right foot connected into his hands and I kicked off as he pushed me up into the air, launching me towards Deidara. Deidara maneuvered his bird out my path, smirking as I flew past him. I twisted around, my left hand glowing white, and my Tōketsu-Raiton Muchi (whip) jerked out, wrapping around the bird's tail, and with a hard pull, the tail (having been automatically frozen upon contact with my jutsu) shattered and I was launched forward, back behind Deidara.

Deidara whirled around at the sound, but with the loss of the tail, the bird lost some aerodynamics and it couldn't simply blow it off. I dove towards him, somersaulting to put my feet first before I kicked the pyromaniac right off his bird, hurtling him towards the water. Having used him as my kick-off, I flew backwards into the water, throwing my arms up in my face and curling up, anticipating the explosion.

Sure enough, the bird exploded, and I wasn't quite out of its safe range. The fire licked at my arms and I had to bite down on my lip to keep from crying out at the burns.

I was hurtled into the cold water, the water feeling somewhat soothing for my burns. I opened my eyes, thankful again for the goggles that I wore over them, righting myself and beginning to swim to the surface. When I broke through, I pulled myself on top of the water.

Yagura was standing a little ways from me, twirling his staff around with practiced ease. Deidara was glowering furiously at him, breathing heavily.

We knew he was nearly out, if not entirely out, of his clay.

"If you surrender now, we won't kill you," Yagura said, his voice velvety soft.

Deidara sneered. "Yeah, right, un."

"Aren't you even a little curious to how well coordinated we were? How Zetsu never saw us coming, and how we had so neatly and easily split you and your partner up —knowing that you two were put together in the first place because the combination of the two of you was deadly?" Yagura inquired, tilting his head.

It was a standard tactic, sow in seeds of doubt when working against an organization; that way, even if the enemy escaped, the seeds would grow and grow under suspicion and doubt, severing connections they may have had.

Deidara's brow furrowed. "And what? You're going to tell me, un?"

"If you surrender," Yagura promised. "You are of no use to us dead."

Deidara snorted. "And after I'm done being of use?"

Yagura shrugged, uncaring. "Either you surrender now and we can make it nice and painless. Or you fight and we either kill you in the most painful way I know how, or we drag you back to Konoha, where you will be tortured and then killed for your information."

"And what if. I just. blow us all up, un?" Deidara asked, a grin lighting up on his as he started to tug his Akatsuki cloak off.

Yagura flickered over to me, where I kneeled on top of the water. He rested a hand on my shoulder. "You'll end up blowing yourself up, I assure you."

Deidara laughed, a mad glint in his eyes. "I'd like to test that statement, un!"

Yagura's hands flew up into seals. "Tch. Annoying idiot. I'd rather capture you alive and torture you myself, actually."

Deidara ripped off his cloak, as Yagura finished his seals. "Suiton: Bakusui Shoha!"

A giant, massive, tidal wave erupted underneath us and I stood up shakily on it. The tidal wave slammed directly into Deidara before the nuke-nin could do anything else. It threw him under the water with enough force Deidara actually slammed into the bottom, creating a small crater.

Yagura wasted no time in diving in after him, his hands flying into seals, while I kneeled back down. My hands glowed a bright white and I began to build up chakra in my hands. The water beneath me began to swirl and move, flowing and tearing at everything so much so that it became too distorted to see what was transpiring beneath me, but I had a fairly good idea. It was one of Yagura's signature moves —Suiton: Shita Ni Konran. It transformed any large body of water into a whirling death trap of high-speed, and chaotic waves, torrents, and whirlpools, with him as the only way to control it.

I felt a wave of fatigue press down on me as I continued to channel more and more chakra into my hands. The soldier pill was beginning to wear off, and I was feeling the drain of running hard for so long, coupled with the extra strain of me entering the Void. What I held in my hands would be the final attack.

I stumbled a bit, having a harder time concentrating with the waves crashing all around me.

Suddenly, Yagura broke free of the surface and leapt up into the air. In that instant, I threw my hands into the water, releasing my built up Tōketsu-Raiton.

The entire water glowed a bright white and I could feel —through my jutsu— Deidara. He was barely conscious, fighting the waves and currents, but the pressure was too much and he was nearly out of air. I manipulated my chakra around him, layering it and lessening it before releasing my hold entirely.

The water glowed brightly before freezing over entirely and shattering into ice-dust.

I shuddered, breathing heavily as I fell to the ground (as the water was gone) and disliking the strain I felt.

"Excellent work, Nao," Yagura praised. "Now let's—"

The ground erupted from right behind me and my spine tingled, my eyes widening. Yagura's eyes widened and everything seemed to drop to a slow crawl. Slowly, so slowly, I turned my head, breath caught in throat, and for a moment I saw Deidara and a thing of molded clay in his hands, and in the next, I saw Yagura before me.

Yagura's staff whipped out and I saw water pour out of it (it was his signature move—Suiton: Mizukagami, as the bird started to glow -

(He wasn't going to make it)

Suddenly Yagura dropped his staff and threw himself over me and then everything went white and there was a deafening explosion and my ears were ringing and we were flying away. We crashed —I crashed, Yagura on top of me— on the cold ground a ways from there, the air leaving me cruelly from the landing.

Silence fell between us and I blinked my eyes, thankful that I had remembered to close them and that I had goggles on, so I wasn't blinded. I wiggled out from under Yagura, careful not to move him too much and quickly rolled onto my knees, kneeling before him and taking in the damage.

He was unconscious. He had tried to form his Mirrors, but there wasn't enough time, so he decided to use himself as a shield.

I felt my heart constrict at the thought, and I felt it tighten even more so when I took in the damage. My stomach dropped and I felt a curling thread of dread grow in the pit of my stomach and worm its way through me.

His entire back side was was nearly burnt beyond help, flesh and seared cloth clung to him and the smell of burnt flesh rose all around me. I pulled out a white scroll with a red cross painted on it and unrolled it. I pulled out a second one that mimicked the first one and unrolled it, as well.

Slowly, carefully, meticulously, I pulled out the thick gauze and the tubes of ointment.

I set to work.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

. . .

. .

.

**Interlude - Nao - 3**

We had reached the next village, Kame and I. I had enough money from the mission pay of being an errand girl left over from my latest mission to buy enough clothes for Kame without worry of becoming broke.

Once Kame was settled in his new clothes, he gave me a warm smile as we exited the village. "Thank you, Nao-chan."

I blushed at the boy. "I'm glad to have been of help, Kame-kun. Have any of your memories returned?"

Kame's eyes trailed down, a shadow casted over his face as we passed under the tall trees. "No. I. I'm sorry."

Moving forward, I placed my hand on his shoulder in what I hoped to be a consoling gesture. It was at times like these, that I would have rather been born as a regular Yamanaka instead of a different one. I would never be able to learn the mind-transfer jutsu, nor could I learn how to delve deeply into an unfamiliar mind and bring forth forgotten memories. Kame glanced over at me, his cheeks looking a bit rosy as he smiled. "Thanks. I-I wish I could, you know? The only thing. the only thing I can remember are—are—eyes."

I squeezed his shoulder. "I-I think I know a way."

Kame looked up at me, his eyes widening. "You do?"

I gave a shy smile. "Maybe. My Papa. he's an expert at being able to get forgotten memories from someone. It's our clan's kekkei genkai, though I didn't inherit it."

"Do you think he would be willing to look inside my head?" Kame asked hesitantly.

"I know he would. After all, you're my friend and Papa always told me he would help me and any friend of mine," I assured him, smiling adoringly at him. I blushed brightly when Kame beamed at me.

"That's wonderful! Where can we find him?"

"In the Leaf —that's my home."

Kame gave a firm nod. "Then lead the way, Nao-chan!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** Favorite Kage?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	27. Arc X - Hospital

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

**Interlude – Omniscient – 4**

"And this is where you left them?" Yagura enquired, his cold eyes flickering towards one of his most trusted kunoichi, a young woman by the name of Mei.

"Of course, Lord Mizukage," Mei said, bowing her head in respect. "I disabled the traitors - the ones who would rebel against you - and left them here for your judgement. There were too many of them to safely take back into the village."

"It's quite a ways from the village," Yagura observed, stopping before the clearing where Mei allegedly had tied the bodyguards up.

Mei didn't respond.

Yagura cocked his head. "Leave me. I will deal with these traitors on my own."

"As you wish," Mei whispered, flickering away.

Yagura stepped into the clearing before he immediately froze. There were bodies of unconscious shinobi scattered about, true. However, years of experience had Yagura freezing and immediately giving his chakra a sharp spike.

The genjutsu faded and all around he saw mercenary shinobi and kunoichi surrounding him. In that same instance, he felt a strong wave of fatigue.

It didn't take long for Yagura to calculate what had transpired.

 _My morning tea. it was poisoned.? And now. and now I cannot even focus my chakra enough to defend myself_ , Yagura thought, feelings of anger at the betrayal bubbling inside of him. His hands clenched into fists and he stumbled forward, falling to his knees. _Damn it!_

That was when the most blinding pain erupted behind his eyes and the Kage screamed.

In the shadows of the trees, a masked man held up his hands in the Yin seal, sealing away the jinchūriki's memories.

And on the kunoichi by the name of Mei went, unhindered or faltering at the sound of her Kage's screams.

. . .

. .

.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I finished applying all I could to Yagura's injuries, my hands drenched in blood and my fingers shaking. Not for the first time, I regretted not taking the path of a medical-kunoichi, perhaps then I would have been able to truly help Yagura.

When that was done, I popped in another soldier pill - a more intense one, something to help me push back my own fatigue like I didn't even have it - and furrowed my brow. I looked around the muddied forest; most of the vegetation had been ruined from Yagura's merciless attack. My eyes roamed around until I caught sight of a familiar cloak, caught in the branches of a nearby tree. I flickered towards it, climbing up the tree and carefully extracting the cloak. It was made of tough material, something that didn't tear so easily. It would have to do.

I brought the cloak over to my master and I laid it beside him. I then concentrated on my chakra, pulling on the warm hum inside of me and guiding it outside of my body. It slithered around Yagura, carefully wrapping around him and lifting him off the ground. I was careful not to allow his body to move - or else it would unsettle the gauze and irritate his already damaged skin. Slowly, I lowered him on the cloak. When I was finished with the task, I rubbed my head, thankful I was only forced to deal with a minor headache.

For once, I was thankful for Yagura's small size, as the cloak was fairly large. I then grabbed the end of the cloak and with great care, I began the long journey back to the Leaf.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I didn't meet up with anyone else on our team on the way back to the Leaf. Yagura was conscious within the first few hours of the journey, but I forced sedatives down his throat so he wouldn't have to deal with the pain. While Yagura was a jinchūriki (and thus he had a significant boost in regeneration), he was also a holder of a lesser bijū, so his healing rate wasn't all that impressive in comparison to Naruto, if anything it was only slightly better than the average shinobi.

I was, however, once recovered enough, able to carry him through my kekkei genkai quite a ways. The consequence of it, however, was a sensation akin to a severe hangover that lasted several hours and I didn't attempt it again. When I reached Konoha, I muttered something to the guards before finally allowing exhaustion to press down on me and I passed out.

When I awoke, it was in my bed at the Yamanaka compound. I moved the covers off of me and sat up, ignoring the dizzying sensation from the action.

I yawned, rubbing my eyes, and I rolled out of bed and stumbled my first few steps. Glancing around the room, I noted with satisfaction it hadn't changed since I last came here. Moving out of the room, I padded down the hallway, before I exited the compound.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

After checking Naruto's, Kakashi's and Sasuke's homes, I concluded they hadn't returned yet and that I had only been asleep for a couple hours. Because the rest of my team hadn't returned, it was courtesy to wait until they had before I did a mission report. So instead, I headed towards the hospital - only after I stopped by our flower shop and picked up some lilacs and sweetpeas (sweetpeas were his favorite).

The hospital was bustling, as always, and I didn't waste my time at the reception office. Due to his status and how his identity was to remain anonymous, Yagura was only ever treated by very specific doctors in a very specific room. I headed straight to the room and entered it, closing the door behind me.

Yagura looked up from a book he was reading, awarding me with a surprised look. "I woke up ten minutes ago. I take it I owe it to you that we're here?"

" as much as I owe you my well-being and possibly my life," I mumbled, blushing under his appraising look. I shifted again before I moved towards him, setting my flowers at his bedside and peering at him. "How are you?"

"Fine. The others?"

"I don't know. I think they're still in Sand."

"Mn. More than likely. You mentioned that Naruto and Gaara were close, I imagine the two would like some time to catch up with one another. Did anything else happen?"

I shook my head. "No, sensei."

"Ah, I thought you might be here."

I whirled around, finding Ino entering the room, a mischievous smile on her face as she took the two of us in. "When I went to check on you, you were gone. How'd I know you would be here?"

I blushed, looking away, while Yagura gave Ino a polite dip of his head.

"Ino-san," Yagura said evenly.

Ino grinned at him, pulling up the only chair in the room and taking a seat. I frowned at the action, uncertain of where I was supposed to sit, that was, until Ino pulled me into her lap. I gave a squawk of indignation, blushing brightly in embarrassment. "S-Sis!"

Ino ignored me, pulling me close and resting her chin on the top of my head. I squirmed a bit in her hold, my eyes darting everywhere but Yagura's thoughtful gaze.

"What?" Ino asked innocently, her question directed at Yagura.

"You two are very close," Yagura observed thoughtfully.

"And cute," Ino added. "We are very cute together."

Yagura chose not to respond to that.

"Come on," Ino persisted, realizing she found something he wouldn't respond to. "Admit it. We're adorable."

He gave her a mild glare, annoyance clear in his tone. "I will do no such thing."

"Why? Don't you think Nao's cute?"

I squeaked, looking in horror at my sister. "N-N-N-N-N - !"

Yagura glowered at Ino, shifting his posture, his fingers twitching. I knew from experience that he was itching for his staff at that moment, but I also knew he wouldn't dare.

"Dove, your sister is annoying," Yagura finally told me, settling back down.

Ino giggled with glee, satisfied she had gotten a rise out of him.

I considered his statement. I nodded. "She is, but I love her anyway."

"Aww," Ino sighed, pulling me tighter against her and kissing the top of my head affectionately. "I love you, too, little sis."

My cheeks and heart both warmed at that, and I relaxed in my sister's lap, content for the moment.

Yagura eyed us another moment before snorting softly and returning his attention to his book.

"I wonder," Ino mused out loud. "Oi, Yagura, Nao-chan, won't you humor me for a moment?"

"Will you go away if I do?" Yagura retorted.

"Maybe. There's a higher chance if you do."

"What do you want, Sis?" I asked hesitantly, part of me fearful that she wanted to use me as her doll again.

Ino lifted me up in her arms and I gave a mild glare at being handled like a small child, and she said to Yagura, "Sit up straight, get comfortable, and open your arms!"

Yagura eyed Ino for several moments before doing exactly that. She then deposited me in my sensei's lap, ignoring my horrified expression and Yagura's expression that was torn between indifference and annoyance. Ino giggled at us, and I felt the blood rush to my head, my heart hammering in my ears as I was torn between mortification and sheepish amusement.

"There. You two look very cute," Ino observed, smiling at us.

Yagura awarded her with a very dry look. "You're hilarious."

Ino ignored him, her smile softening. "I'm glad, though."

I looked over at her, my brow furrowed.

"I'm glad you weren't alone on your trip, little sis, and I'm glad you'll look out for her, Yagura," Ino said quietly, taking a seat back down and propping her chin in her hands as she leaned onto the bed. "Please continue to do so."

"She is my student. It is my duty and obligation to protect her," Yagura said simply.

"Mm."

I looked down at my lap, my hands resting there. I felt small and warm at the moment, flattered and happy at Ino's words. It was one thing to know that you were loved, it was quite another to have confirmation of it, and to know that the confirmation was by someone who you loved as much. It was a nice feeling, that sort of warm and lulling feeling. It was the type of feeling to keep you comfortable on cold nights.

Comfortable silence fell between the three of us until Ino remarked, "You know, for the longest time, I thought your intuition was your second ability."

For a long while, I didn't respond, uncertain of how to. Yagura and Ino were the only ones to know about my 'intuition'. Although, Yagura knew more than Ino in some ways. Not that I intended for that to happen, not in the slightest. It was more or less because he was there when. when I had a slip-up with reality. Ino knew for a long while, she had told me. When I told Ino about my teleportation ability, she had mentioned her confusion, as she thought my second ability was different. We hadn't talked much about it since, though.

I finally shrugged, relaxing.

"Maybe she has a third ability," Yagura mused out loud.

Ino stretched out her hand, idly brushing a few locks out of my face. She touched the cheek below the eye I kept closed, patting it. "Maybe."

"Well," Yagura said softly, "if anyone had to have that ability, I would rather it be her."

I twisted my head around to see Yagura, his face carefully guarded. I blushed at the compliment, smiling. " Thank you, Yagura-sensei."

Yagura shrugged before he smirked, resting his chin atop my head. "Although, I have to also add it is nice to be taller than my student."

"That doesn't happen a lot to you, does it?" Ino asked snidely. "Don't glare at me like that; you'll ruin the cuteness of the scene."

"Get out."

"Aww, come on, at least let me take in this adorable scene!"

"Get out."

Ino pouted, but smirked. "Oh, alright. I'll leave you two to your adorableness."

Ino leaned over quickly and gently placed a kiss on my forehead. "Be good, little sis."

Blushing brightly, I was starting to wonder if my complexion would ever return to its normal hue and no longer a bright, rosy color.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A handful of hours passed by before I bade Yagura goodbye and headed out. It had been a long time since I last visited the memorial stone and I intended to rectify that immediately. After acquiring the bluebells, I left for the stone. Setting them down gently before them, I kneeled before the stone, bowing my head.

I couldn't quite tell how much time passed, only that I was so immersed in my thoughts that I did not resurface until a hand was placed on my shoulder. Jerking out of my thoughts, my head snapped around and I found myself staring at Naruto, who was huffing at me.

"How'd we know you were going to be here? I take it you and that Kame-guy made it out alright?" Naruto asked.

I noticed that his clothes were slightly tattered and Sasuke looked tired. "I am. Where's Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-san?"

"They left after us. Sakura wanted to make sure Gaara and Kankurō were okay," Sasuke said, moving to stand on my other side. "Where's Yagura?"

I explained what had transpired.

Naruto nodded his head. "Good. It looks like he didn't fail completely."

I awarded Naruto with a displeased look. "He's in the hospital because— "

"Like Naruto said, he didn't fail," Sasuke interrupted. "We didn't come here to talk about Yagura. We came because we wanted to exchange information. Naruto and I. Sasori was able to give us some interesting information."

Immediately, I straightened, my eyes focusing and I gave both boys a calculating look. What Sasuke defined as interesting usually implied useful and something that would be difficult. The fact that both Sasuke and Naruto held a dark mirth in their eyes did little to console me. "What exactly did Sasori divulge?"

"A reward for defeating him," Sasuke said quietly. "In exactly ten days, Sasori was meant to meet up with a spy connected to Orochimaru."

My eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat. We knew little regarding Orochimaru, in truth. Even from what. from what Yagura knew, there wasn't much. It was true he was part of the Akatsuki organization, but the Akatsuki wanted nothing to do with him anymore (except, maybe, kill him). Still, it was a known fact that he was nothing but a danger. If we had the opportunity to discover where his bases were. if we had the opportunity to then formulate an ambush and kill him.

How could we not take that chance?

Orochimaru was a threat, not only to us, but to all villages.

Subconsciously, my hand drifted to my neck. Naruto and Sasuke's eyes followed my movement.

"That's. that's something," I managed.

"You okay, Nao?" Naruto asked, scrutinizing me.

"Worried," I confessed. "Concerned, definitely. Anxious. I don't really know what else I feel."

Sasuke nodded, glancing away and Naruto looked down darkly.

The mark was something I tried to forget I ever had. It was a nuisance. well, it was that and more. It was a stark reminder of the contrast in powers. Of how weak I had been. how I still was in comparison. and my failure to truly protect my family. It was a reminder of a horrible moment, of my weakness in allowing myself to panic and indulge my hysterical mind. Something that should never be done and that Papa had drilled into Ino and myself to never do.

More importantly though, it was a mark.

It was a brand. As if I were an item to him. As if I belonged to him.

I hated it.

I smiled at them. "I remembered something—I need to talk to my sister about our uniforms. See you guys soon, alright? And you two will be going straight to the hospital for a check-up, right?"

Both boys looked almost sheepish at my glare when it became apparent that they weren't planning on doing a check-up.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Kakashi and Sakura arrived about an hour after I finished informing Yagura of the latest happenings. Naruto, Sasuke and I were at my home with Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji. Mommy had laid out a good spread of food and the six of us were conversing, catching up with each other.

"Then Sasuke pierced his heart with the Chidori while I finished up destroying his army," Naruto finished retailing his and Sasuke's fight with Sasori. "He talked to us a while longer before he finally croaked."

"Wow. I can feel the respect," Ino said dryly.

Naruto grinned foxily and I smiled. "I'm glad you two didn't have too hard of a time."

"Nah," Naruto said, stretching back and sprawling out on the ground.

"Damn it!" Sasuke cursed again, before throwing the entire shogi board away. "Why, why do I keep agreeing to play with you when you keep kicking my ass?"

"Because you're a sore loser and you don't know when to quit?" Shikamaru guessed lazily.

Sasuke sneered at him.

"Glad to see everyone made it back okay."

All heads turned in the direction of the voice and Kakashi entered the room, giving us an eye-smile.

"Welcome back!" I chirped, smiling brightly.

"What took you so long?" Naruto whined. "You know we can't report to Granny until you show up."

"I'm fine, thank you for asking," Kakashi said dryly. "Are you ready to report?"

"No," Sasuke snapped. "I am going to defeat Shikamaru first."

"That's not happening within this century," Kakashi dismissed. "Let's go, team. We can come back later for dinner if you're really determined."

"I'll tell Mother," Ino said, smiling at me and kissing my cheek. "See you at dinner, little sis."

"Tell Father and Mother I said hello," I said, standing up. "And I'll see if I can get Yagura-sensei to come."

"'Kay!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

" A meeting with Orochimaru, huh?" Tsunade asked, a contemplative light in her eyes. " I will need time to consider the next course of action. Good work, team. For now, you are dismissed."

"Hai!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I stepped back into Yagura's hospital room and he looked up, raising an eyebrow. Naruto entered, a cool look on his face. Sasuke headed straight back home, intent on defeating Shikamaru once and for all.

"Oh, joy. It's you," Yagura muttered, eyeing Naruto distastefully.

I cleared my throat, giving my teacher a pleading look. Yagura glanced away stubbornly, folding his arms across his chest.

"If you've got a problem with me, then how about you and I take it out to training ground three?," Naruto returned, a challenging glint in his eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous," Yagura dismissed. "Two jinchūrikis fighting it out inside the Leaf? Don't be absurd."

Naruto stiffened, his eyes widening as he stared at Yagura in disbelief. "Wh-What?"

I brushed past Naruto, giving a confused look at his reaction. It was true that Yagura's jinchūriki status wasn't well-known in general. He didn't advertise it, and those he had faced in battle. well. there were very few people to have escaped him during his time on the front lines. Kirigakure itself was secluded and mostly isolated from the other villages, as well. Their nickname did nothing to spur alliances or trust, and they were reluctant in general to share information. At least, that's how it was with Yagura as Mizukage. Then there was his supposed 'death'.

His status as a jinchūriki wasn't advertised, and with his 'death' and the 'shame' of his. of his circumstances, it would have been almost taboo to bring up Yagura in Mist.

But it was something that I had known for so long, it seemed almost odd that Naruto didn't.

"You're. you're a.?"

Yagura frowned and his brow furrowed as he looked at Naruto thoughtfully. "You didn't know? Yes. I am the holder of the Sanbi, as you are the holder of the Kyūbi."

Naruto was still staring at Yagura, dumbstruck. "I had no idea. so then. you're. you're like me.? Only. Heh. Both you and Gaara became Kage of you guys' village. I'm behind now, then?"

And then Naruto smiled brightly at Yagura, his teeth bared and his eyes closed as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. I had to beam at that. The fact that Naruto's hostility towards Yagura had vanished, and been replaced with sheepish-friendliness was. was wonderful.

Yagura flushed. "S-Stupid. You aren't behind. I've had years to work towards my title as Kage. Besides, you're not doing too bad now, from what Nao's told me. You'll become Hokage someday."

Naruto's eyes widened and he gaped. "You. You seriously mean that?"

Yagura gave Naruto an annoyed look. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."

"But. but you've only known me for. and you still.?" Naruto's grin was widening and an excited look sparked in his eyes.

"Hmph. You've got the bleeding heart, like all the other Hokages, you're not horrible in combat, and Nao thinks quite highly of you. Now stop looking at me like that," Yagura snapped.

Naruto kept grinning.

I glanced over at Yagura while Naruto inched closer to him and started poking him, smirking and singing, "You think I'm Hokage material~ You think I'm Hokage material~ ."

 _You knew I wanted you and Naruto and Sasuke and Kakashi to get along, didn't you?_ I thought, slowly backing out of the room. _Mn. Thank you, sensei._

Yagura noticed my inching away and glared. "I swear if you leave me alone with this idiot.!"

I smirked, exiting the room.

"Nao!"

Laughing with glee, I turned and hurried away.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A nice, neat Chidori sliced through the shogi board—and the table underneath it—and a glowering Sasuke stormed away.

"That was my favorite board, too," Shikamaru sighed.

"I wonder if I should talk to Sasuke about his sore-loser side," Naruto wondered out loud.

"Has he always been a sore-loser?" Yagura asked, taking a sip from his tea.

"Yes," Chōji admitted, sighing. "Even when we were young. I remember when we were playing tag and Naruto tagged him. Sasuke was hell-bent on always tagging Naruto since then."

Ino shook her head, giggling. "Cute."

I screwed up my nose in distaste.

"Hm. We probably should talk to him about it," Kakashi agreed, having already finished his meal.

"An intervention?"

"It might come to that," I admitted.

"This poor board," Shikamaru continued, still mourning his board. "It didn't do anything wrong. It's not its fault that I'm more intelligent than Sasuke."

"I'm home."

"Welcome home," Ino and I both said as Papa entered the room, taking in the scene and smiling.

"There's two of my favorite girls in the world," Papa said, beaming. "Hello to you, too, boys. Ah, and hello Kakashi, Yagura."

"Inoichi-san," Yagura said levelly while Kakashi dipped his head in acknowledgement.

Papa glanced about, frowning.

"Mother's with Nina-nee and Akiko-nee tonight," Ino explained. "Your dinner's on the counter, Father. Will you join us?"

"I think I will," Papa said, moving back towards the kitchen and grabbing his food.

"What am I supposed to say to Dad about this?" Shikamaru asked, gesturing towards his board.

Chōji patted his friend sympathetically. "I'm sure Uncle Shikaku will understand."

Shikamaru sighed.

Papa re-entered the room and sat in between Ino and myself. Both of us moved apart to allow him room to sit, and once he was settled, we both leaned into him. He chuckled. "If you girls are going to use me as your support, I'm going to lose my balance."

"We're okay with that," Ino said.

I giggled, moving my body so my back was pressed against Papa's side and I was facing Yagura (who had sat next to me. and I was next to Naruto. who was next to Kakashi., etc). Yagura ignored the three of us, glancing over at Shikamaru. "If there's another shogi board nearby, I would like to challenge you."

Shikamaru smirked, looking up. "I know where they keep their board. It's been a while since we last challenged each other."

"It has," Yagura agreed. "Three to one, in your favor, I believe."

Shikamaru smirked and stood up, heading off to grab the board.

"You actually beat Shikamaru?" Naruto demanded.

"Once," Yagura dismissed. "And that was only the first time—he underestimated me and he's been sure not to make the same mistake again."

"That's still impressive," Kakashi said, eyeing Yagura.

"No. What's impressive is anyone defeating Shikaku at shogi," Papa snorted, grinning mischievously.

"Shikamaru's pretty good, though," Ino objected. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's able to take on Uncle Shikaku someday."

"Someday," Papa agreed, "but not today."

Shikamaru returned with the board, as well as a small frown on his face. He held a note in his other hand. "Oi. Team 7. Tsunade-sama wants you guys to report tomorrow morning, eight sharp."

I looked down at the note in his hands. "Is that the message?"

"Yep," he said, sitting down in front of Yagura.

"Another mission?" Papa asked.

"Hopefully," Naruto said.

"It's more than likely related to the information we were able to ascertain in our last mission," I told Papa. "Did you hear about it?"

Papa nodded his head. " I see. Is it wrong of me to hope that she's calling you on a subject completely unrelated to that man?"

"No," Kakashi assured him, "but it doesn't make it any less true."

"Damn."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude - Nao - 4**

"Nao-chan!" greeted one of the regular Chūnin guards, Kotetsu, if I remembered correctly. I didn't see the other guard, but that was moot.

I dipped my head, gesturing for Kame to remain still as I entered Konoha, rushing over to Kotetsu. "Hello, Kotetsu-san. A-Ah, I actually have a visitor with me. I would like to sign him into the registry. He's a friend of mine, you see. I'll be taking him straight to my compound so Papa can take a look at him."

"Hmm? Does he have his papers?" Kotetsu asked, peering over at Kame, who was currently looking away.

I shook my head. "He. he was attacked not too long ago. He doesn't have any memories regarding his personal life. I thought Papa. I thought Papa would be able to help."

Kotetsu gave Kame a sympathetic look. "Poor guy. normally it's against the rules to permit strangers into Konoha without notice and their papers, but. alright. Sign him in here."

Beaming, I bowed my head in thanks. "Thank you, Kotetsu-san!"

Kotetsu scratched his cheek sheepishly. "No need to thank me, Nao. I know you're a good kid."

After I signed Kame in, being sure to write my signature next to his name (so they knew he was with me), I hurried back to my friend and started guiding him towards the compound.

The Yamanaka compound was further inside the village, but it wasn't the heart of the village. It took roughly two minutes of roof-hopping to reach it. I guided Kame through the gates and straight to my home. There, I opened the front door and called out, "I'm home!"

There was no immediate response, and I gestured Kame to follow me.

" Shoes off, please," I said, slipping on my house slippers.

Kame pulled off his sandals, setting them gently down and slipped into the guest slippers. He was looking around my home with wide, bright eyes. There was a soft smile on his face, and he trailed behind me.

"That's the living room, and over there's the kitchen. There's a guest bedroom down the hall, and a bathroom attached," I said, gesturing to each area respectively. " Are you hungry? Would you like something to - "

The words died in my throat, because two strong arms had wrapped around me and I was being lifted off the ground and swirled around. "Little sis!"

Squealing, I wiggled in Ino's arms, ignoring her ecstatic giggles. When I finally broke free, I stumbled a bit, flushing in embarrassment. I snuck a quick glance at Kame and saw that he was undoubtedly amused.

I was mortified.

"Sis!" I whined, burying my burning face in my hands.

"Hehehe," Ino snickered, smirking. "Welcome home. Who's this?"

Refusing to allow Kame a glimpse of my tomato-red face, I mumbled through my hands, "Kame. I met him on the road. H-He needed help. he. he can't remember his past. I thought. I thought Papa."

Ino placed a hand on my shoulder, and I peeked through my fingers. She smiled warmly at Kame. "Hello, I'm Ino, Nao's sister. It's nice to meet you."

Kame smiled in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you, as well."

Ino turned back to me, kissing the top of my head (and ignoring my squawk of indignation). She said, "Father will be home in a couple hours. How about we play a game in the meantime?"

"Sounds like fun," Kame chirped.

I smiled behind my hands.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When Papa returned, he entered the living room (the three of us were sprawled out, cards strewn about us) and yawned. His eyes landed on me and he brightened immediately. "Nao! I wasn't expecting you back so soon."

He frowned then. " We need to discuss the fact that you essentially ran away by letter."

"Momma gave me permission," I objected.

"I don't care. You're grounded."

"Technically I'm still on the 'mission,'" I pointed out.

He glared at me and I wisely dropped the subject. " Papa, I would like you to meet a friend of mine. I met him on the road, you see. he. he was being attacked by mercenaries. I rescued him and. and something happened. He doesn't remember anything about himself, Papa. Could you.?"

And finally Papa turned his eyes towards Kame, and he stared at him.

And he paled.

"Yagura?"

Kame blinked at him. "Is that my name?"

In a flash, Papa had grabbed Ino and me and practically flung us behind him. I stumbled a bit, my eyes wide from shock. "Papa! What are you doing?"

"Explain yourself," Papa barked, his eyes narrowed and posture tense as he glared at Kame. Kame paled and flushed.

"I-I don't know what you mean," Kame stumbled, his eyes darting in between Papa and myself. I shoved myself from behind Papa, moving to stand between the two.

"Papa!" I snapped, anger churning in my stomach. "Kame is a friend. He has no memory and. and someone tried to kill him. Something happened. he."

Papa's eyes turned back to me, his skin still pale with anger. "Explain everything, Nao. Right this instant."

Ino shifted nervously between the two of us, her expression torn.

Glancing back at Kame(Yagura?), I took a step towards him. I placed a calming hand on his shoulder and gave him a comforting smile. He relaxed minutely and returned my smile with a tentative one of his own. I then turned back to Papa and took a deep breath.

"I was en route to my next destination when I felt an odd gathering of chakra signatures," I said slowly, carefully. "I—I was at the border. In between our land, and. and Mist's. The gathering was on the other side of the border. I know I shouldn't have crossed. it was against the rules, but it's also my duty and obligation as a kunoichi of the Leaf to investigate any activity I deem suspicious or potentially harmful to it. I thought. I thought perhaps it w-was a surprise invasion."

I fell silent, my eyes falling downcast. "I-I, um. I went to investigate and I saw Kame. He was surrounded, and he looked annoyed. Then—then he started screaming. He was clutching his head and screaming in pa-pain. Papa—I—his scream—it—it—" it reminded me of my own. I couldn't finish the sentence, didn't want to. It was a horrible experience, receiving that. that brand. "I knew he was in pain and then—he passed out. I—I intervened. I defeated the bandits (they were weak, little to no shinobi training), and when I checked on him."

I gestured to him. "He didn't remember anything."

Papa still stared at Kame, but there was a contemplative light in his eyes. " I believe your story, Nao, however. I must ask. Yagura. to follow me to the T&I department."

"Papa, no!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide. "Surely there's no need to torture him, please! He'll cooperate. Just. walk through his mind, Papa. Please."

"You have my permission," Kame added, his eyes still wide. "I don't want any trouble for my friend. I-I'm sorry."

Papa looked apprehensive. " Alright. Yagura, stand here. I will do a preliminary test. I will see if your memories are truly locked away. If they are. then you are no threat to Konoha and I give you my word we will not. harm you."

"Understood," Kame said.

Papa reached out his hand towards him.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** Favorite Jōnin?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	28. Arc XI - Shy

**Interlude - Omniscient - 5**

It had been a while since they declared Yagura dead. It wasn't long afterwards that Mei took up the mantle of Mizukage.

Currently, she was sitting nervously at her desk. It had been weeks since she sent out her messenger and tracking team, and she had received a reply a few days ago. The ones she was hunting down had informed her they would return to speak directly to her.

They were scheduled to meet her that day.

At that very time.

Mei let out a soft breath, and there was a knock at her door.

"Come in," Mei beckoned, placing down the papers she had glanced over.

The door opened and Mei stood up from her desk, her eyes softening.

"Hn. I see you've changed a few things already."

Mei smiled warmly. "Appearances aren't the only things that have changed. Welcome back. Zabuza... Haku."

. . .

. .

.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Tsunade walked around her office, her eyes dark as she paced. The ones before her stood stiff and straight.

Tsunade let out a soft breath, coming to a stop behind her desk as she looked at each of them. "This will be a difficult mission. I'm ranking it S."

No one spoke, but Naruto was brimming with excitement.

"Not only because you will be dealing with a known S-ranked criminal. but because you will be watching for treason of the Leaf," Tsunade said gravely.

Naruto and Sasuke froze, while Kakashi's eye narrowed. Yagura remained impassive, and I clutched my hands into fists.

"Wh-What do you mean?" Naruto asked, disbelief clear in his voice.

Tsunade let out a slow breath. "While you, Sasuke and Kakashi were out of the village, we came across sensitive information, not only regarding the Akatsuki, but about a man of the name Danzō."

Kakashi looked surprised. "Danzō. You don't mean.?"

"I mean," Tsunade confirmed grimly. "Decades ago, Danzō controlled an elite division of the ANBU. It was. horrible. My predecessor was disgusted by the division and when peace finally came about again, he immediately ordered the group disbanded. Sandaime Hokage went to each known base of the ANBU division and watched each and every one of them burn. Danzō assured Sarutobi that the division was gone, and that was that. However, it has come to our recent attention that Danzō. lied."

"And? What's so wrong about an extra ANBU division?" Naruto demanded, clearly disliking the idea of someone betraying Konoha.

"This division does not fall under my orders," Tsunade snapped. "It follows _Danzō's_ orders only, and much more. it's barbaric. It utilizes war orphans, forcing them to bond with one person, then pitting the two against each other in a fight for survival. It's designed to _kill_ the emotions inside and turn them into mindless, apathetic, obedient drones. Furthermore, it seems that Danzō has been utilizing this division, ROOT, for his own purposes. It was _he_ who leaked information regarding Leaf's security to Orochimaru in the first place in the invasion. And you remember how well _that_ turned out?"

"If he's done all of this, then why don't we take him out now?" Sasuke asked, a furious look on his face.

"Yeah!" Naruto echoed, his fists clenched as he shook from barely restrained anger.

"Because he's one of the Elders, and as such, we need _proof_. Now, while the source of the information in the first place is sound and damning enough, we cannot risk revealing it yet. We don't know _what_ ROOT is, and we don't know _who_ is loyal to Danzō. We cannot risk anyone else finding out about our source, as we cannot risk Danzō discovering we're on to him."

"Then we keep this a secret?" I asked softly.

"Yes," Tsunade said. "I have added another member to your team to assist you in this mission, and Danzō has decided to add one of his own shinobi to 'assist' you."

"You mean a ROOT member, right?" Sasuke retorted.

"More than likely," Tsunade said, her eyes flashing. "Your mission is this: you are to pursue the lead regarding Sasori's information. You are to eliminate, or capture, Orochimaru at all costs. Along the way, you are to study, observe, and spy on the suspected-ROOT member. When you find proof regarding his connection to ROOT, and to Danzō, you are to disable him immediately and bring him back to the Leaf. Proof regarding ROOT takes priority over Orochimaru."

"Understood!"

Tsunade gave a short nod. "Very well. Yamato, enter."

All eyes turned towards the door, and a young man entered in Jounin attire. However, from the look Kakashi gave him, I assumed that the two knew each other from somewhere, and knowing that because we hadn't been introduced before, I assumed they knew each other during Kakashi's time in ANBU.

Yamato gave us a sheepish smile. "Hello, I'm Yamato. I'll be third in command of this unit, I hope to get along with everyone."

I bowed politely. "Hello, I'm Yamanaka Nao."

"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto muttered, still annoyed from the latest information.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke said smoothly.

"Hatake Kakashi," Kakashi said, smiling with his eye. "Second in command."

"Yagura," Yagura said simply, staring blankly at the man. "First in command."

"Now that you're all acquainted, you're dismissed. You'll be meeting your last teammate at the gates in two hours. Be ready," Tsunade said sharply.

"Yes, ma'am!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"What do you think he'll be like?" I asked Kakashi. Both of us were at the stone, saying our goodbyes, seeing how we wouldn't be available to visit the stone for a while.

"The ROOT member?" Kakashi asked, his eye momentarily leaving the name on the stone to look over at me. "Mn. I have to admit even I don't know much about the supposed ROOT division; only rumors. However, from what the report says. and from what I gather. he will probably be unsure of us. Unsure of how to interact with us, I mean, on any other level save professional."

I brushed back the hair out of my eyes, keeping my usual eye closed while my other eye drifted down. "How could someone control such a division? He. he would be an orphan, wouldn't he? And yet, he'd still have to go through such training and."

"If we can find the evidence needed, we can sentence Danzō and put an end to it," Kakashi said, placing a hand on my head.

I nodded, letting out a soft sigh.

"How's your eye?"

"Same as ever. You know Tsunade-sama wasn't able to help me much, and by now the damage has been done," I said, giving Kakashi a soft smile. "Looks like I'll be mimicking you in this regard."

"You could mimick worse things."

I giggled. "That's true."

Turning my back, I started to walk away. "I should probably head home and pack. See you later, Kakashi-sensei."

"Mn. See you, Nao-chan."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Do you know him, Naru-kun?" I asked, frowning as I stared between Naruto and the newcomer. Sasuke was awarding the newcomer with a mild glare, as well.

"We both do. He attacked us earlier," Sasuke said flatly.

Yagura adjusted his mask, glancing over. "You're still alive. Get over it, Naruto-chan, Sasuke-chan. He's our new teammate, so you're going to have to get along."

"I'm sorry for attacking you earlier," the newcomer said, smiling at us. I stared at his smile, perplexed and disturbed by it. It was a fake smile, saturated in falsehood and it was _wrong_ to be worn by such a blank face. I disliked it greatly and wanted nothing more than for him to _stop_ smiling. "I knew we were going to be teammates and I wanted to see how strong you were."

Naruto relaxed, frowning slightly as he eyed the newcomer. "Well, that was pretty stupid. You didn't have to go _that_ far."

"I was curious to see how strong you'd be. At least now I know neither of you are packing anything major."

There was a heartbeat of silence before I grabbed onto Naruto, restraining him, and Kakashi placed a warning hand on Sasuke's shoulder. I held Naruto back while he howled, " _What did you say?!_ "

"G-Guys, come on," I said, struggling to hold onto Naruto.

Yagura's staff whipped out and slammed into Naruto's head. With a cry, Naruto bent over, clutching the top of his head.

"The same goes for you," I said, turning to face the boy. "That was quite rude."

He gave a fake chuckle. "Is that so?"

"You're not winning any teammates over like that," I murmured.

"Well don't write me off, yet. I like everyone. Even you, Hitotsume-kozō." **(1)**

I froze, feeling white hot shame wash over me and I suddenly longed for the comfort of my hoodie. Hitotsume-kozo, a monster with one eye, usually in the form of a bald child. It was both a stab at my age, and the loss of my eye.

"You have exactly ten seconds to apologize before I kick your ass," Yagura said coldly.

"Make that three," Naruto snarled.

" _One_ ," Sasuke said.

"I'm sorry, Kozō."

I bowed my head, disliking the fact that my cheeks were still red and I could still feel the humiliation flowing through me. I pulled my goggles down and pulled my hoodie up, before I shoved my hands in pockets. "I-It's fine."

" _That_ was _not_ an apology," Kakashi drawled. "However, due to the fact that we're on a schedule and thus we don't have time to deal with your attitude, I'll let it pass."

Yagura snorted. "Let me make one thing straight, _child_ , I will not deal with your shit. If _you_ are instigating anything and _I_ find out about. _I will deal with you_."

"I understand," he said, still smiling.

Yamato cleared his throat. "Before we leave, Kame-taichou."

Yagura tilted his head. "Right. Everyone, introduce yourselves."

Naruto glared at the newcomer and moodily muttered, "Uzumaki Naruto."

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Hatake Kakashi," Kakashi said, perfectly relaxed.

"Y-Yamanaka Nao," I muttered, steadily looking down.

"My name is Sai."

"Kame," Yagura said flatly. "Enough. Let's go."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I stuck close to Yagura, walking at his side as we began the journey to the bridge. I kept my hoodie up, and my goggles on, with my hands dug into my pockets for the trip. I had the strongest urge to brush my hair over my damaged eye, as well, to almost hide it away.

It was such a silly mistake, too. I didn't lose it in an especially adventurous way. I lost it due to unsanitary things seeping inside to it. To _infection_. I didn't lose it like Kakashi lost his eye, in a real fight with an opponent. I wasn't even able to continue fighting after losing my eye - I had passed out almost immediately in the fight. It was such an embarrassing way to lose an eye. I suppose there could be worse ways, but as a kunoichi, it was pretty embarrassing. Losing such a vital part. because of lack of hygiene.

What kind of story would that tell?

I was _ashamed_ of my eye.

My fingers twitched inside my pockets and my hands curled into fists.

Not to mention, it was yet another sensitive area to poke and prod at. I understood I was young, that in a way I was above the average person in this village due to the fact I had graduated so early and already I was a Jounin. I knew that because of my age, I wouldn't earn some people's respect for a long, long time. I knew that and I had long ago accepted that. On missions, I would be doubted by our client; on joint team missions, I would be doubted by fellow Konoha shinobi.

It was both frustrating and degrading.

Most importantly, though, it made me feel self-conscious.

I was sick when I was first born. Horrendously so. When I was young, I was always poked and prodded at by the doctors. I was sick, deathly so, from a disease that left me breathless and rarely conscious. I was forced to perform so many odd tests, strip down nude and be stared at by painfully blank faces. All the while they wrote down in so many ways of how _wrong_ and _messed up_ my body and brain was.

Eventually I became so self-conscious of myself, I started to retreat. Anything that drew attention to myself was quickly frowned upon because some small part of me wondered how much more there was _wrong_ with me.

It helped, immensely so, that my family was literally a _therapist_ family. Papa knew what was happening to me right away. Even if I had such a young body, I had already proven that my mind was vastly more developed. He talked to me constantly and I listened and learned. It was thanks to him that I didn't go down _that_ road. However, old habits died hard, I supposed.

I would always, I supposed, feel some sort of self-conscious reaction to attention. I would always worry over whether or not my body was _okay_ and if my mind was _okay_ , because it _wasn't_ and it _isn't_ normal in the slightest. I would always have a more easily fatigued body, and I would always have that mutation inside of me, that one little DNA mess up, that left me excluded from the vast majority of the clan techniques.

I was hesitant and shy, only because experience taught me to feel and act that way at such an early age.

It was _hard_ not to be. It took actual effort not to be so with my friends; with the ones I knew accepted and loved me anyway.

Over the years, I had been forced to confront this: on missions, I was occasionally called upon to speak for the team, or I was supposed to lead, or it was I who gave the mission report. In the beginning, it was nerve-wracking and stomach-churning, but through practice (and encouragement), I was able to overcome my shyness enough.

Now, though, I had thought I was nearly done with it. I was confident in both my abilities and my appearance. I trained under one of the greatest Mizukage, and brightest person I knew. Kakashi trained me especially to overcome my handicap. Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, Chōji. all of them believed in _me._

I thought I had the confidence.

Yet it was one remark from a _stranger_ that actually had me _doubting_ that.

I made such a silly mistake in the past, and because of that mistake, I will forever be marked by it. I will forever only be able to see through one eye and there's _nothing_ I can do about it now.

What's to stop me from making another mistake?

And maybe instead of it affecting me. what if it affects everyone?

What if I failed in such a way that I could never make amends?

I could feel my nails digging into my skin, and I bit down hard enough on my bottom lip that I was beginning to taste blood.

"Well, what is it?"

At Sai's voice, I looked up sharply, embarrassed to have been so deep in thought I was actually _caught off guard_ by his voice. I peeked around my shoulder to see Sai staring at Naruto, who was glaring moodily at him.

Naruto, however, seemed lost in his own line of thought and didn't hear him.

"If you keep on staring at me like that, I'll hit you," Sai said.

"Where did _that_ come from?" Naruto snapped, holding up his fist. "Where do you get off saying things like that? Listen you - " Naruto cut himself off, looking disgusted by Sai.

"I really have nothing personal against you," Sai said, smiling.

"Yeah?! Then why'd you say it?"

"You don't understand. I was only trying out a certain personality type."

_A personality type?_

(Why do you need to try out a personality? Don't you have one already? Don't you know who you are?)

"If you were trying to do it, then that means you meant it!" Naruto snapped. "You. You really rub me the wrong way; we don't want someone like _you_ on this team."

Yagura stopped, and Kakashi and Yamato stopped, as well. Yagura glanced back, and although I couldn't see his face through the mask, I _knew_ his eyes were narrowed coldly.

"Enough, Naruto," Yagura said lowly. "Save it for _after_ the mission."

"That's right. Calm down, Naruto," Kakashi said. "That's no way to talk in front of your own leader."

"Mutual respect is a must for teamwork," Yamato added. "I would have thought you understood that by now, Naruto."

Naruto scoffed, glaring at Sai. " _Teamwork_? We aren't even a real team. Not with _him_. It's clear that _no one_ wants him here, so why.?"

"You _know_ why, Naruto," Yagura interjected, his voice sharp as ice. "If you cannot uphold our _mission_ , then you will be removed from it and sent back to Konoha. You want to be Hokage, right? _Then grow up_. You're going to have to deal with people you don't like, people you might even hate as Hokage, but you can't lay a finger on them due to political or financial reasons, understand? Think of this as practice, if you must."

"Hokage?" Sai echoed, smiling as he (fakely) chuckled in amusement. "That's impossible for someone like you. No one as weak, as reckless, as worthless as you could ever reach the esteemed title of _Hokage_."

Before Naruto could move, Sasuke stepped forward, eyeing Sai indifferently.

"You," Sasuke drawled, "have tried my patience. You insult not one, but _both_ of my teammates."

Sasuke smirked while Sai continued to smile. "I only speak the truth."

Sasuke's hand shot out and Sai was sent flying backwards into the ground. My eye widened in surprise, and I could feel the shock radiating off of Naruto and Yamato. Yagura seemed faintly pleased and annoyed, while Kakashi was a cross between amusement and indifference.

"Test my patience again, and I will use _this_ ," Sasuke said, gesturing to his katana, his eyes never leaving Sai.

" _Not_ while we're on a mission, of course," Yagura said smoothly. "Or at least, not while we're on _my_ mission."

Sasuke glanced over at Yagura, smirking. "Wouldn't dream of it, Kame-taichou."

"Hn. Fine, then. I'll be sure to watch my mouth."

" _Ttt_ ," Yagura muttered, turning away. "Are you done, yet?"

"Kame-taicho, if I may."

Yagura glanced over at Yamato.

"I think our teamwork needs to be dealt with now," Yamato said, eyeing Sasuke, Naruto and Sai.

Kakashi nodded his head. "I agree. Maybe we should lock the trio of them in one of your cages, huh? Wouldn't _that_ be kinky."

Yamato flushed. "Senpai, I don't think now's the time to joke about that, but."

Yagura considered the two of them.

"Cage? I don't want to get into any cage with _this_ guy!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Perhaps it's not necessary," Yamato said slowly. "If it's fine with Kame-taichou. maybe we can make a quick little detour?"

I glanced over at Yagura and he snorted. "Fine. Listen up, you three. Either you behave yourselves starting with this detour, or Yamato will lock the three of you up until you learn to _deal_ with each other. This is my _last_ warning."

"Understood," Naruto and Sasuke muttered, while Sai smiled.

I was starting to really hate that smile.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude - Nao - 5**

Papa retracted his hand, his eyes wide. "Un... Unbelievable."

Kame (Yagura?) swayed, a dazed look in his eyes. "What... what did you see?"

"Come with me," Papa said sharply.

My eye widened and I shot Papa a horrified look. Papa returned it with a pained one of his own. "I will not harm you, I swear. However. your memories. I need to properly unseal them and the Hokage _needs_ to know about them."

Kame hesitated, looking at me. "I don't. I don't know. I'm sorry, I just."

I took his hand, holding it in my own. I was nervous, and my heart was pounding, but I kept my gaze on him. He returned my gaze, his eyes never leaving mine. "It's okay, Kame-kun. I. I won't let them hurt you, okay? You can trust Papa."

He squeezed my hand and slowly looked back at Papa. "Can. Can Nao-chan come with us?"

"N - "

"I'll go with her," Ino said quickly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, Papa. I've been to work with you tons of times and I've done extractions before. Nao won't get hurt."

"You don't know that," Papa snapped. "I'm sorry, Y-Kame. However, when your memories unseal, how will we know you won't turn around and attack us? It's too dangerous, even if we do bind you."

"Please, Papa," I pleaded.

" _No_ ," Papa said firmly.

Ino scowled at him. "He's _Nao's_ friend! She has a right to be with him, and more importantly, she's _his_ friend. I don't care who he was, but right _now,_ he's Kame and right _now,_ he's in a new place and is about to be prodded at by complete strangers. He's not an enemy; he's a _friend_."

"Nevertheless."

"Papa," I said quietly, "I never ask for much, but I. I'm begging you. Please. _Please_."

Papa looked stricken, torn at my request. For a long while, he didn't speak. Then he closed his eyes and I could have sworn I saw him age ten years before my eyes. He let out a sigh. "Very well. I. Ino. Please."

Ino smiled. "Don't worry. I'll protect her. She _is_ my precious person."

Kame looked relieved and shot me a thankful look. I blushed, smiling shyly. "Thank you, Papa. _Thank you_."

"I only hope I don't regret this decision," Papa muttered.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(1)Hitotsume-kozō** (一つ目小僧) are a yōkai of Japan that take on the appearance of a bald child with one eye in the center of its forehead.
> 
>  **Question:** Favorite Naruto legend? (Person. Not an actual legend)
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	29. Arc XI - Shiori

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Interlude - Omniscient - 6**

Orochimaru tapped his long fingers on the desk, papers laid out in front of him. His eyes roamed over the statistics.

"Orochimaru-sama?"

Orochimaru did not respond to Kabuto right away.

"Your medicine, Orochimaru-sama."

"Leave it, Kabuto," Orochimaru rasped, a finger tracing along the names on the paper.

Kabuto quietly sat the medicine tray down on the desk, next to the papers. His eyes automatically rested on the papers, and he recognized the two names on it.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Yamanaka Nao?" Kabuto echoed, frowning.

"You know I desire the Sharingan, Kabuto, but this Yamanaka girl also has a unique kekkei genkai —something that is unlikely to occur again within several lifetimes," Orochimaru said blatantly, finally deigning to look over at Kabuto. "I believe. yes, I believe that I desire both of them now. Sasuke, alive, the girl. well, I'm sure I'll learn as much from her corpse as I would if she were alive."

Kabuto smiled coldly. "Understood, Orochimaru-sama."

. . .

. .

.

I relaxed in the hot water, completely at ease. There was a small group of women a little ways from me, but I chose to sit at the farther end, sort of my own isolation. Steam rose up from the water, and I watched, transfixed by it.

Letting out a small sigh, I tilted my head back, resting it against the stones and closed my eyes.

 _I wonder how the others are doing.?_ I trailed off in that line of thought. _Ah. but I wonder. how this mission will go.? Not only are we supposed to watch out for a traitor —Sai— but as soon as we find proof tying him to Danzō , then Tsunade will undoubtedly make her move against the Elder. I hope Jiraiya is able to make contact with Itachi before that, though. I would really hate for Sasuke to find out the truth. to find out about_ that _from the unveilings of the ROOT._

I opened one of my eyes —my good eye— and stared up at the blue sky. _Then again. part of me doesn't really want him to ever find out. Even if Jiraiya manages to. to persuade Itachi and bring him back to Konoha to tell Sasuke the truth. how will Sasuke react? Would he even believe Itachi?_

_He has to, though. Otherwise. otherwise._

I stopped myself.

 _Slow down, Nao. You're getting ahead of yourself. First Jiraiya has to convince Itachi to return to Konoha. Itachi's been living a lie for so long, now. I'm not even sure he'd be willing to go along with the truth, even if Jiraiya points out that either Sasuke finds out through_ us _or through Itachi himself._

_Poor Itachi._

"Mind your own business!"

I froze, recognizing Naruto's furious voice.

"Damn it! You're always dick this, dick that; you're so annoying!"

There was a resounding _smack_ and I heard Yagura say, "Idiot! Not so loudly."

The women started to giggle, and I sunk further into the water, my face flaming. _I can't believe Naruto said the d-word so loudly in public!_

"Ah! Nao! Don't listen to us!"

The women glanced over at me —apparently none of them were named Nao and they all knew each other so automatically concluded.— each of them laughing more loudly. I buried my face in my hands and dove under water.

_Naruto, you idiot!_

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Wrapped firmly in my robes, I shuffled towards Yamato's room. Naruto and Sasuke both stepped out of their rooms and caught my attention. I blushed slightly. "O-Oh. have a nice bath?"

"It could have been better," Naruto muttered, rolling up the sleeves in his robe.

"Sai is a real nuisance," Sasuke agreed, glancing at me. "How was yours.?"

I blushed in embarrassment, recalling the women's laughter. "It could have been better."

"Oh, there you are, Nao."

I beamed, looking over at Yagura. "Sensei! Did you enjoy yourself?"

"About as much as I expected to," Yagura replied. "Let's head over to Yamato's room now, though. He and Kakashi are paying for the meal."

"Food?" Naruto perked up immediately. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Without waiting for the rest of us, Naruto practically skipped down the hallway, opening the door to Yamato's room and heading in. The three of us exchanged amused looks before following after him.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

After the meal, I bode everyone goodnight before heading to my room. I changed into my pajamas —some shorts, and a cammie— and opened my window. I slung my legs over the side, and let out a slow breath.

I bit down on my index finger and moved my hands into the proper seals.

In a puff of smoke, a small creature fluttered before me.

_~Hello, Nao-sama.~_

I smiled, holding up my right hand as the creature landed gently on my finger. Her wingspan was no longer than my hand, and her wings were a pale blue in the center, but slowly became transparent further out. Her body was a pure white, and her large, black eyes stared up at me.

She relaxed her wings together, holding them perfectly vertical.

"Hello, Shiori," I whispered, holding her up so I could look at her at eye-level. "Would you mind telling the kaleidoscope that we may be encountering a very dangerous enemy within the week?"

Shiori fluttered her wings, dust falling off. _~Of course, Nao-sama. Who is the enemy?~_

"Orochimaru."

Shiori was quiet a moment before she gracefully detached herself from my fingers, gliding on a small breeze. She floated up to me and landed on top of my head. _~You will be careful, Nao-sama, won't you? The kaleidoscope will help you in any way that we can.~_

"I know you will," I assured her, "and I won't do anything stupid. don't look so surprised when I bring out the kaleidoscope."

_~We will not. Pleasant dreams, precious child.~_

In another puff of smoke, Shiori was gone. I looked down at my cold finger, and folded it against my hand for warmth. With my other hand, I brushed off the snow that had collected on top of my head from Shiori's stay.

There was a quiet knock on the door.

"Come in," I said, swinging my legs back into the room and standing up. as I closed the window, the door opened. I blinked in surprise. "Sensei? What's wrong?"

Yagura held a finger to his lips as he quietly shut the door behind him. "I received word from the frogs. Jiraiya's made contact with Itachi and will be engaging him in the morning."

"What about Kisame?" I asked, dropping my voice down to a whisper and tensing.

"Itachi sensed Jiraiya's presence ahead and separated himself from Kisame," Yagura responded.

Letting out a relieved breath, I relaxed.

"Are you prepared for the fight, little dove?" Yagura asked, already turning away.

"Always," I said.

"Good. Don't listen to that idiot, either," Yagura said over his shoulder as he headed out of the room.

I smiled softly, looking away. "Yes, Sensei."

Yagura snorted, and closed the door behind him.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Bright and early in the morning, I trailed behind Kakashi. Naruto was sent to gather Sai and Sasuke —I had briefly seen the two conversing a while away, it looked like Sai was drawing something, but I wasn't close enough to see what it was— and I didn't particularly care for an interaction with Sai.

Kakashi looked around, Yamato and Yagura on both sides of him. "Let's see. who are we missing again?"

"You're joking, right?" Yagura asked sardonically.

Kakashi gave Yagura an eye-smile. "Me? Joke? Never."

Yagura scoffed and Yamato snorted.

"Stupid. little. shit-head." Naruto grumbled, moving towards us. Sasuke followed idly behind him, completely ignoring the smiling Sai that walked behind him.

"Naruto, what did I say about your language?" Yagura asked, a glint in his eyes.

Naruto straightened and whitened. "I-I ."

Yagura seemed to smile. "That's what I thought you said. _Nothing_. Now if everyone's here, I'd like to get a move on."

"Hai, Taichou."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

The journey to the checkpoint was made in mostly tense silence. When we went off-road to lessen the chance of being noticed, it didn't do anything to help Naruto's mood. However, soon reached the bridge.

It was decided that Yamato would impersonate Sasori (as he was the best suited for it). I hid in the bushes, in between Kakashi and Sai, while Yagura, Naruto and Sasuke hid in some bushes a ways from us.

I watched as the events unfolded on the bridge, tense and ready for the signal.

I couldn't make out a word they were saying, however, I felt a small thrill of fear run through me when I saw none other than Orochimaru appear on the bridge, as Yamato pulled out a kunai.

Kabuto leapt away from Orochimaru and stood in front of Sasori, his back to him. I still couldn't make out his words, but I was already tensing. Kabuto's right hand glowed blue, and my single eye widened as he whirled around and sliced straight through Yamato's disguise.

Yamato leapt out in time, landing on the bridge.

"Cover has been blown. Go," Yagura said, his voice carrying over to us.

I jumped out of the bushes, landing on the bridge beside Sasuke and Yagura, my posture tense and alert.

"My, my, it seems as if my source was right on the money. Well, we might as well have a little fun together, but on out, you two."

Two more cloaked figures appeared on the bridge, both standing on either side of Orochimaru. Each had their hoods down and both were very familiar to me. A woman with blue hair and black eyes eyed us indifferently.

(Gleaming crystal)

But it was the boy with the shockingly bright orange hair on the other side that drew my attention. He was steadily looking down and away, a loathful gaze in his eyes, but it was not directed at us, not even in the slightest. And there, beneath the surface, I could _feel_ something throbbing inside of him.

(Madness)

"I'd like you all to meet Jūgo and Guren," Orochimaru said, smiling smoothly. "When I caught wind of such a special group coming all the way out to meet _me_ , well."

"And you that?" Yagura asked smoothly.

Orochimaru laughed. "It doesn't matter now; they're dead."

Yagura snorted. "I'm sure they are. Orochimaru, I don't suppose you'd be willing to surrender quietly and save us the trouble?"

"Where would the fun in that be? Besides, I wouldn't get my new toys if I did that."

My heart faltered and in that instant, I felt fear.

"You won't be getting _anything_ , except perhaps death," Sasuke growled, moving to position himself in between Orochimaru and myself. "We won't allow you take away our comrade. Not this time. Not _ever_."

Orochimaru appeared mildly interested in Sasuke's words. "Who says it was _her_ I wanted?"

Yagura's head snapped in my direction, before moving back to Orochimaru. "It doesn't matter who or what you want. _You are not touching her._ "

Orochimaru laughed, and I felt my stomach churn with disgust at the sound. "It wasn't even her I was originally after, you know. If you give me the Uchiha boy and her, though, I might let the rest of you go free."

"No way in hell!" Naruto howled, his eyes no longer blue, but instead a deep red. " _No fucking way!_ "

"Why so touchy?" Orochimaru asked condescendingly. "Don't think you could handle protecting them? You're right. You can't."

Red chakra flared around Naruto, and I could feel Sasuke tense beside me, along with Yagura. Naruto didn't seem to notice, so intent on glaring furiously at Orochimaru.

"You.I won't forgive you for what you did, for what you tried to do," Naruto said lowly. "You almost took my family away from me. _I won't forgive that!_ "

"Poor you," Orochimaru said dismissively, before he pulled out three slips of paper and threw them on the bridge. Immediately, I prepared to leave should they prove to be explosive tags, but the lines drawn on them were unlike anything I had ever seen.

I stared in disbelief as three figures grew from bridge, right where each seal was. Surprise colored my features as they finished growing, revealing themselves to be Kakashi, Yamato, and Yagura.

"What?!" Yagura growled, and I could feel the annoyance radiating off of him.

Orochimaru gestured lazily to the trio. "Don't mistake them as clones. I knew you were coming, and I set up special seals on your end of the bridge long before you even entered this land! I created these seals during my stint with the Akatsuki. I believe they even use them to this day, but _these_ seals are _far_ superior. I had them specially made to latch onto you three, and to mimic you. I can't exactly have the three commanders free to do as they please, can I?"

Yagura took a menacing step forward, pulling out his staff. "You've sealed your fate, Orochimaru. To hell with taking you captive, _I'll kill you myself!_ "

Orochimaru only smiled, as if he were a master, pleased by a trick his pet had done. Yagura's free hand clenched into a fist, but he quickly brought his staff down into a defensive position when the clone-version of him slammed his own staff against him. The force, however, was enough to send Yagura flying backwards and off the bridge. The clone version of him wasted no time in leaping towards him, twirling his staff.

I had to drag my eyes away from my sensei when the familiar sound of the Chidori rang through the air and the clone Kakashi charged at the real Kakashi.

"I see," Kakashi muttered, leaping up. "Trying to get us off the bridge and away."

"Is it working?" Orochimaru asked, laughing.

" _Shut up! Get rid of your fucking clones right this instant!_ " Naruto howled, wind whipping around him.

"Naruto," Sasuke snapped, "calm down."

"No, don't," Orochimaru laughed. "Ah, well, it doesn't matter, though. The clones will distract them long enough, and I will take the two I have come for."

"The hell you will," Naruto snarled, spreading out his arms in front of Sasuke and myself. "I won't let you. _I won't fucking let you!_ "

Another burst of chakra radiated from him, and the red chakra that had wrapped around him fluctuated.

" _Naruto!_ " Sasuke threatened.

Naruto didn't seem to be listening to him, though.

"It doesn't matter what you try, boy," Orochimaru said, amusement gone from his face and tone. "You failed already in trying to defend one of them —kidnapped right from under your noses and you lost control trying to save her. You're useless."

" _Shut up!_ " Naruto snarled, dropping down on all fours and shaking furiously. "Shut up, or I' I'll."

"Allow me to handle him, Orochimaru," Kabuto said smoothly.

"No, Kabuto. This boy is out of your league and I need him out of the way before I take on Sasuke and the girl. However, I'm sure you and Guren can distract Sasuke long enough for me to deal with him. As for you, Jūgo. Kimimaro failed to bring me this girl; he actually died failing. Will you honor his sacrifice and succeed, Jūgo?"

The boy looked torn for a moment, before he lowered his gaze. "I will."

"What are you waiting for?"

Now knowing who I would be facing, I took Jūgo's hesitation to my advantage. I sprinted towards him, bunching up chakra in my feet before jumping up and kicking him square in the chest. He was sent hurtling to the other side of the bridge.

"Nao," Sasuke said sharply, and Naruto snapped his head in my direction.

I didn't falter, only tossing over my shoulder, "I'll be fine!"

I pulled my goggles down over my eyes, as I reached the other side of the bridge. I had to get Jūgo away from the others first, I couldn't risk them getting caught in my jutsu.

 _He's after_ me _,_ I thought, _so he'll chase after me_.

Taking a deep breath, I turned on my heel and sprinted into the forest.

Exactly twenty-seven seconds after I started sprinting, I felt his presence behind that wasn't quite right. Earlier, his chakra had been stable, flat. Now, though, his chakra seemed to radiate unnatural spikes, and he reeked of killing intent.

I back flipped from a tree branch, the hair on the back of my neck rising. The tree branch I had been on moments ago splintered into twigs as Jūgo slammed into it. Leaping high into the air, I quickly surveyed the distance.

It was far enough. I dropped back down onto the tree tops. Looking down, I couldn't clearly see Jūgo below me. My tree shook for a second, before it started to fall. Quickly, I jumped onto the next tree, but not even a second after my feet touched the top did it start to fall, too.

 _He's knocking over the trees so casually_ , I thought, leaping to another one. then another and another. _His strength must be enormous, and his speed isn't anything to sniff at. But he's knocking over trees instead of coming up and attacking me directly —there's no tactical thinking in his strikes. The madness that I felt from him and now this state. the two have to correlate somehow._

Jūgo had made a small clearing, and when he knocked over yet another tree, I decided enough was enough.

I leapt down onto the grassy floor, turning slowly to face him.

Half of him was no longer human.

A sort of black-brown mass had consumed half of his features, and his arm was enlarged and oddly shaped. There were tubes forming out of his back, and his eyes were no longer the same color. His left eye was black, with a golden pupil. He grinned anxiously at me, excitement gleaming in his blackened eye.

"I do **n't really kn** ow why **Orochi** maru-sama **wants you and** I don't **particularly** care," Jūgo snickered, his voice changing throughout the sentence, partway through his normal voice, and partway through an almost screech. He was giggling. " **But I do** know th **at** **I'm allowed to ki** ll you to g **et to you** and **that sounds dandy.** "

He clapped his hands. " **Let's have some fun!** "

I spaced out my feet, straightening and shifting stances. Immediately, Jūgo charged and I spun to the right to avoid him. He slammed into the ground, but was back up within seconds and charged again, giggling. He swung his left arm at me, and his large hand nearly caught me, but I ducked underneath.

Again, he moved towards me, and again, I moved away.

 _It doesn't seem like I can tire him out_ , I thought, ducking underneath. _At least, though, he moves in a predictable, linear pattern. Probably attributed to his madness._

I narrowly avoided another punch. _But I won't be able to attack if he's going to keep this up. He's too fast._ _I'll have to create an opening._

I let out breath, and started to focus solely on Jūgo .

_like with Yagura attacking. It's like with Yagura. You can do it, Nao._

My chakra slithered out and slowly started to wrap around Jūgo.

However, when Jūgo swung his hand down on me, my concentration broke, adrenaline spiking through me as I was forced to roll away. I popped back up onto my feet and leapt backwards, in time for Jūgo to slam into the ground, exploding it underneath him.

He threw back his head and laughed. " **Dance** , **l** ittle bird **y! Dance!** "

As he laughed, I took that moment to bring forth my chakra again. The moment my chakra was firmly wrapped around him, he stopped laughing.

Sharp pain blared inside my head, and I bit down on my tongue to keep from making a sound.

 _He's insanely strong_ , I thought, as Jūgo started struggle against my hold. _But I have to hold on. a little longer._

I shakily held up my hands and bit down on both of my thumbs. The moment I started the first seal, I lost concentration on holding him, and blinked back the dizzying sensation that came over me. He howled in annoyance, but before he could charge, I slammed my hands into the ground.

White erupted around us as butterflies streamed about.

Jūgo's head snapped around. " **What** the fuck is t **his sh** it?!"

"Your defeat," I muttered, as the butterflies clouded my view of him. I could see their white wings, fluttering around, swarming us. I could differentiate each one, and leading them, circling high above was Shiori.

Even though I could not see, I could hear his laughter. "Then I better. **step it up a level.** _**AHAHAHAHAHEHEHE**_ **!** "

A sharp spike in chakra radiated from him, and my heart tightened and stomach dropped. Ignoring my worry, though, I formed my hands into the lamb seal. " _Shiro no Sekai_."

Within seconds, the kaleidoscope started to blend together, their colors and forms melting and dissolving into a giant whiteness. Coldness gripped the air and my breath came out in wisps.

I could see Jūgo again, and there wasn't anything human about him anymore. He was looking around, snapping his head in one direction from the next, his eyes darting about. His skin was a dark gray-brown, and muscles bulged from him. He had pipes of sorts growing out his back and his hands looked more akin to claws. Both of his eyes were black with golden pupils, and somehow his hair looked even brighter.

" **What is this?!** " He snarled, looking around, and his bare feet crunched in the snow.

Snowflakes drifted around, falling to the floor and slowly covering it in white. White was as far as we could see, and to all appearances, we were no longer at the bridge.

" **Where the fuck are we?!** " Jūgo demanded, searching around for anything he recognized.

I let out a slow breath, and the snow blew around me. I could feel myself loosening, dissolving, almost. I knew logically I wasn't, that my chakra was slowly seeping out and mixing in - ten percent to be exact. And while I knew we were still at the bridge, it was a little strange to only see white.

Adjusting my goggles, I took a small step towards Jūgo, looking down at the ground. No footsteps were made, and not a sound was heard.

_Good, the jutsu is in place._

"It's a special jutsu," I said, hearing my voice echo all around. Jūgo snapped his head about, unable to pinpoint where my voice was coming from. "Only those in contracts with the butterflies may use it. While the butterflies. they are not especially skilled in combat, they excel in support. They can only hold one contractor, because they can only be especially born to one contractor."

" **I don't understand a word you're fucking saying,** " Jūgo growled.

"I mean," I said carefully, "that they are born specifically for their contractor. Upon making a contract with the butterflies, the shinobi must give fifty percent of their chakra, and one liter of blood to them every day for one lunar cycle. The butterflies use their chakra and their blood to create a kaleidoscope especially suited for them. For example, if a lava-user contracted with them, then each butterfly created would be able to utilize the lava-style.

"I could, I suppose, have strictly asked them to remain to one of my two natures, but my sensei, who gave me this contract, had a better idea. This jutsu was born to go hand in hand with my own created jutsu, because you see. my jutsu, my Tōketsu-Raiton, is able to freeze. These butterflies were meant to compliment the cold, to _enhance_ it. When I use my Tōketsu-Raiton in this world they created, it will be three times more powerful," I said, slowly sliding into an offensive stance. "They were made to support me, to support my Tōketsu-Raiton, and that is why they created this world. This world _is_ them, and their chakra is mine to draw on. And best of all, by dispersing my chakra into them, and by having my blood course inside of each them, . do. _this!_ "

I sprinted to Jūgo, but of course, he did not hear, see, or sense me. The snow that fluttered about was in fact butterflies, each dispelling a genjutsu. Because they all had a piece of me inside them, and my chakra was the heart of this jutsu, not even a sensor could find me.

My Tōketsu-Raiton formed into a scythe and I sliced into his arm. Ice formed around the wound, and Jūgo cried out, his eyes wide with rage. He swung at me, but I was already back-flipping away, gone to his eyes.

I felt confident in using this jutsu against Jūgo . It was one of the only two jutsus that I could utilize the butterflies in. It had its drawbacks, true, but all jutsus did. It wasn't a true genjutsu, so much as a layered ninjutsu. To the outside world, it would appear as if a white box sat in the middle of a forest —very visible from a mile away, so it was useless in covert missions. It also meant that it was breakable. The opponent could very well keep hammering away at a small section of the ninjutsu, and while it would heal itself at first, it wouldn't last long. The ninjutsu only stayed up for as long as I had chakra, and the butterflies lived. If he destroyed enough of the wall, he could potentially use up enough of the chakra to cancel the ninjutsu, or kill enough of them (since they essentially were the walls) to end it.

Not to mention restoring the kaleidoscope after such a loss would take a couple lunar cycles, and quite a bit of blood. And while I could draw upon chakra, that was also limited. I couldn't draw upon too much, or else the whole thing would be canceled.

Thankfully, though, I had already established that Jūgo ran in a linear pattern and while he was in this state, he was no tactician. I felt confident enough that he wouldn't figure out it wasn't a genjutsu and start hammering away.

Still. I had to end this quickly before he decided to start firing off at random and damage the kaleidoscope.

Jūgo clutched his injured arm, scowling furiously. He then ripped the useless appendage off. My eye widened as a new one, one that wasn't dead from frostbite, grew in its place.

"Is that the best you got?" Jūgo challenged, his teeth bared.

"I'm getting started," I muttered.

I swung my scythe before I flickered towards him, slicing into his new arm and then turning around and lopping off the other one. I was at his back during this, and the pipes glowed briefly. Shock had me falter a moment before I started running backwards. However, it was a little too late and the energy that had been gathering in the pipes released, slamming into me and sending me hurtling into the ground.

Pain radiated from my chest and I had difficulty breathing. From experience, I knew my ribs were at the very least bruised, if not some of them broken. I bit down on my bottom lip, and struggled to stand up. I coughed a bit, wiping away at the blood that I had spat out of my mouth.

"Annoying," I growled, as two fresh appendages took the place of his old ones. Raising my voice, I said, "You can't keep growing them forever."

" **Watch me** ," Jūgo snickered.

Taking a steadying breath (and wincing in the process), I started to run towards him again. I swung my scythe, watching it glow brightly, before I slammed the blunt end into the back of his head. He was sent sprawling into the ground. Not wasting a minute, I released my Tōketsu-Raiton, wrapping my chakra around him instead.

He didn't struggle immediately —and I assumed he was dazed— and I channeled chakra into my hand. I slammed my hand into his head, hearing a satisfying crack underneath me.

He sagged, and I slowly watched as his skin started to return to a lighter color.

I let out a slow breath of relief.

"Thank you," I said, slowly falling to my knees, shakily.

_~Happy to help, Nao-sama.~_

In a plume of smoke, the white world was gone and I was left, tired, with an unconscious Jūgo.

 _Still. that went almost too easy. He was insane, but. he didn't attack while in the Shiro no Sekai. It was almost like. it was almost like he was hesitant. Like he didn't_ want _to._

(Pacifist)

 _He didn't_ want _to fight me._

(He didn't want to fight at all)

_I don't think. I don't understand why, exactly._

(Orochimaru broke his promise to keep him out of the fighting)

I shook my head, ending my train of thoughts and turning my head.

It was time to set focus on what the others were doing.

An explosion shook the scene, and I stood up.

_Better hurry._

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude - Nao - 6**

I paced outside the interrogation room. Hours had passed —it was nearly midnight!— since we had arrived here in the early morning. Ino sat anxiously in a chair, watching me pace nervously. Tsunade (and Shizune) had entered the interrogation room roughly two hours into it. Shikaku followed after her within the next hour, along with the ANBU Commander. No one had left the interrogation room since.

"Nao. it's going to be okay."

Butterflies raced in my stomach, and my heart skipped a beat when Ino's voice brought me out of my trance. I stopped pacing, looking at her with a torn expression.

She smiled gently, gesturing to me. "Come here, little sis."

Obediently, I moved to stand in front of her. She motioned with her hands for me to turn around and I obliged. She then placed both her hands on my shoulder and forced me to sit down in front of her. She pulled the goggles off my head, setting them on the chair next to her. She rummaged through her bag for a moment before pulling out a brush.

Gently, she started to brush my hair. I closed my eyes, finding myself relaxing minutely.

"Don't worry about it, precious one," Ino whispered. "Everything will be okay. I promise."

Giving up on resisting, I sagged. I was tired and I wanted to sleep, but I didn't dare.

Softly, Ino started to hum.

Unable to help myself, I began to drift off.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** In your dreams, it rains. what? (i.e., it rains. chocolate, people, cats & dogs, etc.)
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	30. Arc XI - Jiraiya

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

**Interlude - Omniscient - 7**

"No body?" Tobi repeated, staring at Zetsu. "What do you mean there was no body?"

"We mean, **when we went to look for Yagura's corpse,** we didn't find it. But we found the bodies of the bandits," Zetsu said.

Tobi stood up slowly, his mind going momentarily blank. "He could _not_ have survived that on his own and there was no one in Kiri that would have helped him. I highly doubt any of the other villages knew what was going on, much less have assisted him."

Zetsu continued to stare at Tobi, and Tobi's eyes darkened. " _Tch_. What an annoyance. Find him. If he's still alive, and the Sanbi is still with him. we need to find him. Soon. We can't take on the higher-level bijū without first sealing the Sanbi. _Go_."

Zetsu bowed his head, melting into the floor. "As you wish, **Tobi**."

Tobi watched him leave for another moment before turning away, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. _Who could have found him?_

. . .

. .

.

I glanced back at Jūgo, hesitating. Finally making up my mind, I knelt down beside him, pulling out some rope and chakra-sealing papers. After I bound his hands and feet, and placed the seals over them, I turned on my heel and sprinted in the direction of the explosion.

Leaping up onto the tree tops for a vantage point, I took a moment to gape at the destruction.

"Nao! Are you alright?"

My hands flew up to my mouth to cover my startled squeak. Yagura landed on the tree next to mine, part of his mask broken off to reveal his left eye. His clothes were a bit tattered, but other than that, he was alright. I felt myself calming at his presence. I always took comfort from being near him.

"I'm fine," I assured him. "Are you? How did you get away so quickly? And what's going on now? I was in the White World, so I was oblivious for a while."

Yagura waved his hand in a hurried dismissive gesture. "I'm fine. We ended up switching clones. I managed to take down Yamato's clone easily enough, then we tag-teamed against Kakashi's clone, and finally my clone. Kakashi headed off to assist Sasuke, Yamato went to Naruto, and I headed to you. From what I saw of Sasuke and Naruto, though, I would say Sasuke's done fine and Naruto's throwing a temper-tantrum."

I let out a relieved sigh. "I was able to subdue Jūgo quickly enough. And Sai?"

Yagura's eyes narrowed. "He ignored orders and took off in Orochimaru and Naruto's direction."

"Orochimaru said he knew we were coming," I began hesitantly, "do you think Danzō tipped him off?"

"It's possible," Yagura allowed, "and I would bet my money it was, but we can't ignore the possibility of another leak."

I shuddered at that. The implications that someone who knew about SS —and who probably knew about Yagura and the Uchiha Massacre and Madara— betrayed the village was unnerving. "I honestly hope not."

"I do, too," Yagura said. "It would be a real annoyance if we got rid of one rotten seed, to have another one pop up in its place."

Another explosion shook the scene and my eyes wandered over to the giant cloud of dirt and dust. "Should we.?"

"Not while he's in this state," Yagura said flatly. "I don't want you anywhere near Naruto when he's like that, do you understand? He's uncontrollable, irrational, and is too dangerous."

I fell quiet for a moment. "Do _you_ want to.?"

"If he needs my assistance, Yamato will inform me. Otherwise, I would rather save my strength and let Naruto tire Orochimaru out," Yagura responded.

I nodded my head. "Right, Sensei."

Yagura jerked his head towards the unconscious Jūgo. "How was he?"

I followed his gaze. "I don't know. I think. I think he was holding back on me. It was almost like he was fighting himself for a portion of the battle. He was too predictable and too linear in his actions —it was almost like he _wanted_ me to stop him. I I don't know why, but I feel like he's not a bad person. I feel like I feel like I want to help him."

Yagura eyed Jūgo another moment before looking over at me. "Is this your intuition speaking, Nao?"

I nodded my head.

Yagura let out a short breath. "Alright. You haven't let us down, dove. I will see what I can do for him."

Smiling brightly, I beamed at Yagura. Yagura cocked his head. " It seems Yamato has subdued Naruto, and they're away from Orochimaru. However, Sai has engaged Orochimaru."

My eye widened. "Wh-What? So soon?"

"You and I will deal with Sai. I want you to capture him with your ability and drag him to us. If Orochimaru interferes, _I_ will deal with him," Yagura said, already sprinting away. I looked back at Jūgo one last time before I followed after him.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

My chakra was wrapped firmly around Sai. From the distance, it was an especially difficult strain on me, but I bore it. Yagura was pressed up against me, keeping my form completely hidden from any view. His eyes were locked onto Sai and Orochimaru.

"Nao," Yagura said softly, bending down to whisper in my ear, "Sai gave Orochimaru a folder. I want you to retrieve that, as well."

I clenched my hands into fists, sweat dotting my brow. My chakra moved away from Sai —still wrapped around him— and grabbed hold of the folder that was held loosely in Orochimaru's hands. It was even more difficult to hold two objects, even if the folder was rather light and easy to manipulate.

Pain blared in the back of my eyes, and I had to begin to consciously steady my breathing.

"When I say go, pull them towards us with all your might," Yagura said. " _Go_."

I yanked as hard as I could on Sai and the folder. The folder went out of Orochimaru's hands —not that he seemed all that concerned with it— and the Sannin's eyes snapped in our direction. Sai struggled against my hold, but I managed to keep him stiff as I pulled him towards us.

Yagura leapt out of the tree, sprinting towards Sai, and throwing down multiple smoke pellets. In a matter of seconds, the area was covered in a thick smoke.

I felt Sai sag in my hold, and I knew Yagura had rendered him unconscious. I finished pulling Sai and the folder to the base of the tree, setting them down. When the smoke cleared, Orochimaru was gone, and Yagura stood in front of Sai, holding the folder.

He had the folder opened, and I could see clear rage sparking in his only visible eye.

Wiping away at the sweat on my forehead, I let out a shaky breath and dropped to the ground.

"Wh-What's wrong, Kame-kun?" I asked, my fatigued state having me momentarily forget myself. I blinked. "I mean, Yagura-sensei."

Yagura didn't seem to notice the slip-up —or care— because he continued staring at the folder. "Danzō will die for this. ROOT will be terminated. And I think I found out how to uncover which members of the ANBU are ROOT and which aren't."

I blinked in surprise, tilting my head curiously as Yagura held the folder out to me. Taking it carefully, I looked down at its contents.

My breath caught in my throat. ANBU operatives, maskless, stared back at me. Each listing their real identity, their chakra natures, jutsus, _weaknesses,_ everything. Yagura was right in that we could also use this to uproot the ROOT members (no pun intended), for I highly doubted Danzō would give Orochimaru the information regarding his own members.

My eyes trailed down to the unconscious Sai. "He was supposed to act as the messenger.? Messenger for what exactly, though? What does Danzō get in exchange for this?"

"What else?" Yagura muttered dryly. "Probably some whacked-up scheme to get him the Hokage title. It didn't work for the Invasion, so he's trying another route. _Tch_. Let's take him back to the others. When he's awake, we'll question him."

"What about Orochimaru?"

"What about him? Tsunade gave this guy the priority, and I agree with her. We can't think to act as a strong village if we can't even trust our supposed leaders. The sooner we take out Danzō, the better."

I nodded my head, glancing back down at Sai. Yagura bent down and grabbed him, deftly tossing him over his shoulder and jumping up and out of the crater. I followed behind him.

We found the trio together, looking over Naruto, who was looking a bit dazed. Yagura quickly explained what had transpired, and handed Kakashi the folder. He dumped Sai on the ground, and Yamato set to work in creating wooden ropes to hold him.

"Sasuke, go find Sai's stuff. There may be something in it we can use against him," Yagura instructed. "I have a feeling we'll be here for a while, so Nao, Naruto, set up a perimeter. Kakashi, send Pakkun back to Konoha to report. Yamato, you're in charge of shelter, and I'll watch over this idiot over here. Dismissed."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When Naruto and I returned to the makeshift campsite, we found Sasuke rummaging through Sai's stuff, discarding things almost as quickly as he ran through them. Yagura stood a little ways from us, his back to us as he watched Sai. I didn't see Kakashi nor Yamato, but that didn't mean they weren't close by.

Sasuke paused when he pulled out a tattered book. Even from this distance I could see it had been read through quite a bit, and it certainly wasn't a published book. Interest piqued, I moved away from Naruto and kneeled beside Sasuke, tilting my head. "What's that?"

Sasuke flipped through the book, his eyes scanning it. "Not sure. I saw him staring at it earlier. He said something about it belonging to his brother."

(Gift)

"It was a gift to his brother," I murmured absently, a memory tugging in the back of my head. I moved to grab it and Sasuke gave it to me without fuss. I flipped through it. "Two brothers, both starting on different ends. They're."

Naruto, having moved over to us, frowned curiously. "The dark haired one kind of looks like Sai. so the other one must'ave been his brother, right?"

"I would assume so," I responded, flipping each page. "Look. Each enemy they fight, they take their weapons and armor, then fight the next enemy on the next page. They both start from different ends, but when you reach the middle —when they're supposed to fight each other— it's blank."

"You said it was a gift to his brother?" Yagura asked casually, looking over his shoulder at us. "How much do you want to bet it was the same brother he had to be desensitized to go into ROOT for?"

Grim silence wrapped around us, as we mulled it over.

"The ROOT really is despicable," Naruto muttered, disgusted. "Killing your brother for no good reason. The guy's an ass, but he doesn't deserve that. _No one_ deserves that."

I resisted the urge to squeak when Kakashi appeared behind us, placing a hand on Naruto's head. "Maa. When ROOT's taken care of, no one else will have to go through that, so don't worry about it."

"How long do you think until he wakes up?" Sasuke asked, glancing over at Sai.

"He should be out for a couple of hours," Yagura responded. "Make yourselves comfortable. It's going to be a bit."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**(Third Person POV - Jiraiya)**

Jiraiya was tired.

He had wanted to retire —originally _planned_ on retiring— when Naruto was born. When Minato remained the Hokage, alongside his beautiful wife, Kushina, and they raised his godson. He would have been the stay-at-home crazy uncle that when the brat was old enough, taught him a couple of tricks. He was never meant to teach Naruto the Rasengan, and he most certainly wasn't meant to be the one to pass down the Sage arts to him.

That was supposed to be Minato's job.

But the idiot got himself killed.

It was a choice, then, between staying there and raising him, or continuing his work. Some part of him regretted not staying, but he knew he couldn't raise Naruto. He wasn't the right type, he wasn't a _real_ family guy. Sure, the idea of retiring and becoming that kind of guy was a dream, but. but so long as a threat to his family was out there, he couldn't retire. He knew, deep in his gut, that Minato hadn't died from the Kyūbi attack. He _knew_ Kushina's seal wouldn't have failed while she was in Konoha. Minato would have been right there with her, every step of the way, completely prepared to reseal the Kyūbi. The fact that the Kyūbi got out. and had somehow _appeared_ in Konoha out of nowhere.

Someone had sabotaged that night. Jiraiya _knew_ it. He couldn't physically prove it or find out who. But Jiraiya knew that so long as that person ran about, Naruto wasn't safe.

His _godson_ wasn't safe.

So he opted out of raising Naruto, and instead focused on reaffirming his spy network and using every ounce of resources available to him to figure out what the hell happened. The only things he knew were a.) the perpetrator had the Sharingan b.) they effectively used the kekkei genkai, implying they were intimately familiar with it and giving the impression they were Uchiha, or at least close to the Uchiha c.) they knew, somehow, when and where the birth was taking place and d.) they were strong enough to essentially take out ANBU, Hiruzen's wife, and _Minato_.

For years, he didn't know anything more than that.

Then the whole Yagura-fiasco turned up. And what do you know? It turns out that Yagura, the Mizukage, was under an intense genjutsu for the majority of his time as Kage. And the creator of the genjutsu? Someone who was going by the name of Uchiha Madara.

An Uchiha who had a.) had a Sharingan b.) knew how to _very_ effectively use it —and had already controlled the Kyūbi in the past c.) had a vendetta against Konoha and d.) had _decades_ to plan and implement said plan.

It seemed like Jiraiya found his murderer.

But that wasn't all the information Yagura had heard. Yagura knew the person wasn't _actually_ Madara, so much as someone working _for_ Madara. Yagura had never met the real Madara in person, but he knew that the masked man and some sort of creation by the name of Zetsu often talked about him. The masked-man-who-originally-claimed-to-be-Madara currently went by the name of Tobi. Yagura also knew that Tobi had a contact in Konoha —a few, actually. One of them Tobi refused to name, something about the person being 'ignorant of his guilty loose lips', another was Itachi (who was gone now) and the third. was Danzō.

Danzō, who was one of the _very_ few who knew about when Kushina was having Naruto, and where.

When Jiraiya found out _that_ juicy bit of information, it took every ounce of self-discipline not to storm the traitor's home then and there and snap his neck. He knew how these things went. Someone with such political power and considered such a valuable asset to Konoha's council could not be killed without reason. Even if it was made to look like an accident, _someone_ would cry foul and the _last_ thing Jiraiya (or Konoha) needed was for Danzō to become some kind of twisted martyr and start a coup after his death.

And that wasn't the worst of information Yagura knew. there was more.

Sure, sure, knowing all the names, appearance and abilities of the Akatsuki members (as well as their real goal. or at least Madara's real goal. psychotic weirdo) was beneficial. but the truth regarding the Uchiha Massacre?

Even Ibiki looked disgusted at _that_ information.

Which brought Jiraiya to what he was doing now.

Itachi slid into the booth in front of him, and Jiraiya discreetly activated the disillusioning and silencing seals —causing it to appear like the booth was empty and no noise was coming from it.

Jiraiya couldn't see Itachi's face —the boy kept his collar up high and his hat tilted down, but he wasn't in a hurry to see his face anyway.

"Hello, Itachi," Jiraiya greeted, an easy grin on his face.

"It has been a while," Itachi said, his voice velvety soft. There was a steel undertone to it, a hardened edge that reminded Jiraiya of what this boy had already gone through. It sickened the sage how far he had had to fall because of his idiotic father and Danzō. "Might I ask why you were so foolish as to want to see me alone?"

"Because I need to talk to you, alone," Jiraiya said easily, sitting forward on the table, his fingers knotting together as he rested his chin on the back of his fingers. "We need you to come back to Konoha."

Itachi did not reply right away. And when he still hadn't replied for a full three minutes, Jiraiya gave a cocky grin.

"You see, Itachi, _we know_. And Konoha isn't one to abandon such a loyal shinobi, not if we can help it. Danzō should not have given you that order, especially not against Hiruzen's explicit orders _not_ to."

Itachi lifted his head, his eyes finally meeting Jiraiya's. But his eyes were not the blood-red of the Sharingan. They were a paler shade of obsidian.

 _So he's already going blind?_ Jiraiya thought somberly.

"You know?" Itachi repeated, his voice still soft.

"We know. And we want to help you and Sasuke."

At Sasuke's name, Itachi shifted ever so slightly. If Jiraiya hadn't been a master spy —trained to read and observe people— he very much doubted he would have caught the movement.

"I am listening."

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude - Nao - 7**

The doors opened and my eye snapped open, darting in the direction of the door. Ino looked up, giving a small start (she had fallen asleep, too). Papa stepped out, the lines on his face seeming to pop out at me, and his eyes were sunken in. He looked down at me, holding out his hand. "Nao, I need you to come with me. Ino. Ino stay here."

Ino looked ready to object, but held her tongue when she noticed how tired Papa was. I stood up, my legs stiff and my back and neck sore, and followed after Papa into the interrogation room. There was a group of ANBU scattered about the room, each positioned and ready to subdue the target in a heartbeat. Kame himself was in a chair, his head bowed, and his arms and legs bound by chakra-sealing chains. Tsunade stood to his left, Shikaku right behind her, and Ibiki stood on his right.

"I brought her," Papa said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I looked up worriedly at him, before I moved my gaze to Kame. Kame's fingers twitched and he slowly looked up.

My heart constricted. His eyes were sunken in, and he seemed unhealthily pale. His hair was matted, and sweat dotted his brow.

"Nao," Kame said, his voice a low rasp.

I looked around at the adults, each of them eyeing me. Tsunade stared at me with a calculating glint in her eyes. I suddenly felt like I was being tested —that my reaction was being measured.

Swallowing my nerves, I moved to Kame. I felt as if I was on a minefield, every move and step I took had the potential to cause catastrophic consequences for myself, as well as Kame. I reached Kame, and gently brushed back the locks of hair from his eyes.

"Are you. okay?" I asked, my voice quiet.

Kame closed his eyes, letting out a long breath. "I will be. The reason. the reason I asked for you. is because I wanted. to thank you."

My eye widened in surprise. "What?"

"You saved my life, and you brought me here. While. while it hasn't been the most pleasant experience, in the long-run, it was for the best. I acknowledge that."

While I processed that, my mind latched on to something he said. "Long-run.? Does that mean.?" Unable to help myself, I looked up at Tsunade hopefully.

Tsunade gave a humorless smile. "Yagura-san has been privy to information that would benefit Konoha greatly, and he has offered his assistance in regards to a mutual enemy. In exchange for protection, and our alliance, he has sworn loyalty to Konoha for as long as the threat remains."

 _And Konoha will take his word?_ I couldn't help but think. I was relieved that he was alright, and that he would be staying with me, but the kunoichi side of me thought it was almost too easy. That there was more in the agreement than what they told me.

"What now?" I asked hesitantly.

"At his request, and as part of our agreement, we have included _you_ in this circle of information. Everything we discuss from this point on will remain between us. Is that understood, Nao?" Tsunade asked, her voice stern.

"Yes, ma'am."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** What's your desktop background?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	31. Arc XI - Tool

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Interlude - Omniscient - 8**

Hinata fidgeted nervously, her fingers twitching, and she had to consciously resist the urge to poke her two index fingers together and look away. No matter how nervous she was, she wasn't going to be deterred. Not this time.

She reached into her pocket, producing a carefully written, brief letter. It had taken _months_ for her to get the nerve to even start writing it, and a while longer for her to finish it. It was already posted and addressed to one Uzumaki Naruto and all Hinata had to do was drop it into the little mailbox. That's all she had to do.

Hinata held the letter over the opening, her fingers clenched tight around it. Her face felt like it was on fire and her stomach was doing all sorts of flip-flops.

A minute passed and she lowered her eyes, dropping her hands.

 _I still can't do it_ , Hinata thought softly, staring down at the letter.

"Oi! Hinata-chan. What are you doing here?"

Hinata stiffened and sent a panicked look at her letter before shoving it behind her and turning to face Ino. Ino grinned brightly at her, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Is that a letter? Who's it for?"

"U-Um."

Ino waved her hand. "Never mind, never mind. Look, I came here because I wanted to invite you to a little party I'm having. It's pretty small, but that's alright."

"Party?" Hinata asked quietly, thankful for the change in subject.

"Mm-hmm."

Hinata's eyes flew over to the quiet murmur from behind Ino. Peeking from behind, Nao gave Hinata a small smile. Hinata reflexively returned it with one of her own. Hinata wasn't all that familiar with Nao, nor was she with Ino. They were classmates, certainly, and she knew Nao was a friend of Naruto's. She knew Ino was one of the girls that followed Sasuke around, and she knew that both of their teams were one of the three that graduated the academy and passed their Genin test.

She knew them both fairly well, but she wouldn't think they were especially close. She visited their family's flower shop frequently, and she and Ino shared in quite a few topics on botany. Nao preferred for her sister to do the majority of the talking, choosing instead to sit in a corner quietly and listen to their conversations.

"I-I would be honored," Hinata said, bowing slightly.

Ino's nose crinkled. She whined, "So formal, Hinata-chan. I thought we were friends."

Hinata giggled nervously, a little worried she had offended Ino. But then Ino giggled along with her, her face warm and open. "You're so cute. It'll be this Friday, our place at seven, okay?"

"Okay," Hinata said, fidgeting with the letter behind her back a little bit. Ino beamed at her and turned away, ruffling Nao's short hair as she left.

Nao looked fondly after her sister, before she turned a wide, single pale-blue eye on Hinata. She moved towards Hinata and sidestepped around her, plucking the letter out of her hands and inserting it into the mailbox.

Hinata gave a startled squeak, her eyes wide with panic. "Wh-Wh-Wh—"

"He would have liked that letter," Nao said softly, already turning away. "He likes getting letters. Especially from people he likes."

Hinata's mouth opened to respond, but after a moment, she found she had nothing to say. She gave a long look at the mailbox, and another look at Nao's retreating back.

Hinata took a deep breath, ignoring the pleasant flutters in her stomach, and she turned and walked away from the mailbox.

She was smiling.

.

. .

. . .

"What exactly are we going to do when he wakes up?" Naruto asked me quietly, the two of us standing a little ways from the group. Yagura and Yamato continued to watch over Sai while Kakashi and Sasuke tended to the camp.

"Sensei will probably want a confession. We need a bit more solid evidence to convict Danzō," I whispered back. "But. I'm not sure how he'll get it. Sai doesn't really have much interest in us, and. and he _does_ have the seal on his tongue to prevent him from verbally speaking about Root, I think."

Naruto frowned, standing up and heading over to Sai. I watched him as he kicked Sai's feet.

The effects were almost immediate. Sai's eyes shot open and he quickly took in his surroundings and the situation.

"Caught and bound before I could even complete my mission. I would expect nothing less from such a trusted officer of the Hokage," Sai said, smiling falsely.

Yagura stared indifferently at Sai, his voice completely apathetic when he said, "Enough of the pleasantries. Tell us everything willingly and I might not have to resort to more drastic means."

Naruto gave a snort, his eyes glinting with anger. There weren't all that many things that truly got to Naruto. He could almost always bounce back from them, but when it came to anyone harming his precious people, or his precious village. Especially when the danger was supposed to protecting the aforementioned _with_ Naruto. Naruto couldn't stand betrayal like that, and neither could I.

Sasuke placed a warning hand on Naruto's shoulder before he brushed past him towards Sai. He threw the book down onto Sai's lap, staring at him apathetically. "That belongs to you."

"Mn. Thank you."

" _Tt_ ," Yagura muttered. "Sai. You're here under Danzō's orders, aren't you? Danzō, the traitor of Konohagakure, has teamed up once again with Orochimaru. Or at least, he's trying to. You were chosen as the go-between for Danzō and Orochimaru. What exactly are they planning?"

Sai did not respond.

"Like before, they're planning on destroying Konoha. Right?" Kakashi asked, his voice deadly soft.

Sai's smile somehow became more fake. "No. That's not—"

"Shut up!" Naruto snapped. "I can tell when that smile's fake, you _jerk_. And I can tell right away that what you were about to say is a bunch of bullshit."

"Now that the circumstances have upturned like this, my mission is ultimately considered a failure. I can't handle all of you by myself, and I'm not even sure I could escape these bounds. Although, since you already know so much, then there's no point in hiding anything.

"You're exactly right. We're going to crush Konohagakure. The real mission I was given was to gain favor with Orochimaru and create an opportunity for a collaboration in order to crush Konohagakure."

"Do you know what the hell you're saying?" Naruto snarled, taking a step forward. Yamato held him back and I slowly moved towards Sai.

"That's not all," Sai continued, completely unperturbed by Naruto. "I was also secretly assigned to send information about Orochimaru to Danzō-sama. In other words, I have also been entrusted with a mission as a spy. Orochimaru will definitely betray us once Konoha has been crushed. I'm to make sure we've always got the advantage.

"The information I write in black ink transforms itself to animals and carries the information out while protecting itself, you see. Sai was the name given to me for this mission. I am nobody. I am a tool for Danzō-sama. I don't exist. So no matter what you say to me, it's pointless."

"You _do_ exist," Yagura spat. "A _tool_? Do you even know what you're saying? Are you really going to lie still, and roll over for someone else? Are you really going to give up your free will so easily?"

"I am a tool for Danzō-sama," Sai repeated.

"But you weren't always," Yagura countered, and for a brief moment, I could have sworn I saw Sai frown, but it was gone too quickly for me to confirm. "You were an orphan boy. You had a family. You had a _brother_ that you loved."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"That book," Sasuke said, gesturing to it. "You drew it for him, didn't you? And the boy on the cover, that's him."

Sai's eyes widened briefly before he glanced down at the book in his lap.

"You wouldn't have drawn that if you didn't care. And you wouldn't hold on to it if you didn't care. You have memories. You have emotions," Kakashi said, moving a bit closer. "No one can be the perfect shinobi. Humans weren't meant to hide their emotions like you do."

"They weren't meant to be someone else's slave," Yagura bit out. "You can't blindly accept what's happened to you. You have a _choice_ , Sai. You don't have to be his tool. You don't have to be _anyone's_ tool."

Sai continued to steadily look down at the book.

I hesitated a moment before I lowered myself to Sai's level, squatting down and wrapping my arms around my knees. I wasn't trained in the arts of the mind or reading people like Ino was, but I knew some basics.

"You lost your brother," I said, "and I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like. I don't even want to think what I would do without Ino. You were forced into a barbaric program where you were desensitized of anything that made you human. Again, I can't even begin to imagine what that had been like. But I know, somewhere, you're still that little orphan boy who loved to draw for his brother."

(He's so lost now, isn't he? He doesn't even know _how_ to connect, does he?)

"And I think," I finished slowly, "and I think that boy deserves a chance at a better life. And what Danzō is doing is wrong. What he's making you do and what he's done to you is wrong. You're a human being and you deserve to be able to smile _for real_."

I lost my nerve at the end and I looked away. I wasn't all that good with words like Ino or Naruto were, but I felt like I wanted to add my own voice. Like I needed to actively help Sai understand and to make him see what I saw.

Perhaps it was because I couldn't stand the idea of anything like that happening to Ino or me. And maybe, maybe, it was because I saw what could have been myself in Sai. Sai was what I _could_ have become without my family's help. What would have happened if I continued to close the world out from me? What would have happened if I became so self-conscious of myself, I grew detached from this very reality? That I began to think so poorly of myself, that I didn't even think I was _human_? That I was someone else's _tool_?

It was unsettling.

Granted, his reasons and my hypothetical reasons for thinking such things were vastly different, but the outcome was the same.

And that was wrong.

(Wrong, wrong, wrong)

(Like, _like_ , _like_ ,)

( _Madarakillinghisbrother!_ )

I jerked and fell backwards from the giggling voice in the back of my head. Only Kakashi seemed to have noticed my movement, because the others were focused on Sai (he was talking again, and I guess I didn't notice). Kakashi cocked his head at me and I shook my head, my stomach churning and my heart settling.

The voice continued to giggle for a moment before it stopped.

I swallowed roughly. It was only the fourth time I had heard that voice, and already I was growing to hate it. It didn't have any specific time it came, and it said the oddest things. But it always giggled or sung.

I considered having Ino mind-walk through me to see what was going on, but my instinct told me that was a _bad_ idea. Besides, it was a voice. Harmless, really.

"know about how you killed your brother—"

" _No_ ," Sai said quickly, looking up sharply from his book, his tone holding a surprisingly hard edge. He blinked before quickly recomposing himself. "No. I did not kill him. I was planning on giving this book to him, but when I was about finished, he. he. died from sickness. In this book, there was something I wanted to show him most of all. but now I can't remember what it is at all."

"Then maybe we can help you remember," Naruto said quietly.

Sai's eyes widened and he looked up at Naruto.

"I have a feeling," Naruto said carefully, "that what you lost, _we_ can help you find it. But we can't do that without your help. I'm not talking about Root or Danzō anymore, Sai. Even if you don't spill your beans, we'll get Danzō one way or another so it doesn't matter anymore, got it? But you. Nao's right. You deserve a chance. You owe it to yourself, and you owe it to your brother."

Sai continued to look at Naruto in disbelief. "You can't possibly mean that. You can't take on Danzō-sama. Not like this. And I doubt you'll ever get the information you need to uproot him from his position. Danzō-sama—"

"Is full of shit," Sasuke said bluntly. "We can handle him."

"Damn straight," Naruto declared. "I'm going to be the next Hokage, and I _will_ protect my village from traitors like him. Even if I have to break a few rules, I'll get rid of that rotten apple once and for all, I _swear_ , and I _never_ go back on my word! So don't you worry about it, Sai."

Sai abruptly looked away, falling into silence.

"Although more evidence _would_ be nice," Yagura muttered dryly and I had to fight back a smile.

"Danzō. Danzō-sama outmatches you. You cannot hope to defeat him," Sai said softly.

"Konoha is my village. It's the place where I've made precious people, where I've made special bonds," Naruto said, his voice starting off low.

Sai's eyes widened again and he stared up at Naruto. Naruto gave him his signature grin. "It doesn't matter who the opponent is! If my arms get torn off, I'll kick him down. If my legs get torn off, I'll bite him down. If my head gets torn off, I'll stare him down. If my eyes get torn out, I'll curse him in my grave! Even if I get chopped up into pieces, I'll protect Konoha, _no matter what_."

Sai looked back down at the book, his face a perfect mask of shock.

A minute ticked by before Sai looked up and stuck out his tongue.

There, as perfect proof, was the seal.

"Sai. are you implying?" Yagura asked carefully.

Sai blinked at him before retracting his tongue.

"Nod if you are confirming the proof of Root and that you are a member," Yagura ordered. Sai nodded.

"Nod if you answer to Danzō."

Sai nodded.

"Nod if you can take us to one or more Root bases."

And for a third time, Sai nodded.

"Sai." Naruto trailed off, his eyes wide with disbelief. He then gave the brightest, sunniest smile I had seen him give in a long, long time.

"If we can get him to Tsunade-sama now, then we have the proof we need." Yamato murmured.

Silence fell through the clearing as everyone contemplated this turn of events. Part of me was pleased by it, the other part indifferent. I was pleased with the evidence. With this information, along with Itachi's testimony. surely it would be enough for a conviction.

"Alright. It's time we headed back to Konoha, then," Yagura declared, eyeing everyone. "We can't go after Orochimaru— he has too much of a lead, and our priority was evidence for the treason of Danzō. With Sai's seal on his tongue, as well as the confirmation of Sai himself. and while the seal prevents you from _speaking_ about Danzō, I doubt it would prevent you from taking us to the current headquarters."

Sai shook his head to confirm Yagura's assumption. Yagura gave a cold smile. "Then it's safe to say that Danzō's fate is set."

"Good riddance," Naruto snorted, folding his arms over his chest.

"Do you know who else is in the Root division?" Yamato asked.

Sai shook his head.

"Right. so then what are going to do about _that_?" Kakashi asked, gesturing to a sleeping Jūgo.

And as if beckoned by the mention of him, Jūgo's eyes slowly creaked open. He stared at us blearily for a moment before seeming to come to his senses. He sat up straighter, his eyes more alert as he scanned everyone, before his eyes finally rested on me.

I inched away from him, disliking his rather intense gaze.

Yagura's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Good question. What exactly are you to Orochimaru, carrot-head?"

Jūgo dragged his eyes away from me and stared at Yagura. He looked sheepish. "Orochimaru was the only person who could keep me tamed. My. my kekkei genkai allows my body to absorb nature chakra, however because of this. I am unstable. Orochimaru kept me away from everyone, so I couldn't harm anyone."

"And what did he get in return?" Sasuke asked dubiously.

Jūgo shrugged. "He was interested in my kekkei genkai. He said it was essential to the Curse Mark."

I froze, and beside me, I could feel my comrades stiffening.

"Your kekkei genkai?" Kakashi murmured. "I think Tsunade-sama will be very interested in your kekkei genkai, if it's truly related to the Curse Mark."

"I think she'd be interested even if it's not related— it's definitely a unique kekkei genkai," Yagura mused. "Why are you telling us this information willingly? How can we know your words are true?"

Jūgo frowned and looked down, staring at his lap for several moments. Finally, he looked back up, his eyes on me again. "Orochimaru broke his promise. I—I did not want to fight. I don't like fighting, but you. you subdued me. You can tame me."

I shifted awkwardly, uncomfortable with his gaze again. It almost seemed like he was placing a responsibility on me, a responsibility I didn't even know what entailed. "I—I _did_ defeat you, but."

"You can do it again, too. You can keep me from hurting anyone," Jūgo said softly.

Naruto placed a hand on my shoulder before he stepped towards Jūgo. He squatted down in front of the teenager and scrutinized him. "Hmm."

Jūgo looked uncertain what to do under Naruto's narrowed gaze.

"Well, I like him," Naruto said, standing up and grinning. "I don't know why I do. I say we trust him."

Sasuke swatted at Naruto. "You idiot. You trust anyone who isn't with Orochimaru."

"Na-uh! I didn't trust Sai!"

"Fine. Anyone who hasn't betrayed Konoha in some manner," Sasuke revised.

"Na-oh. Hmm. Not _anyone_."

"Anyone, Naruto," Kakashi agreed, patting his head. "That's in your nature."

"Well—well then what do you guys think? I vote we trust him."

I hesitated. "I—I feel like we can trust him. I vote with Naruto."

"I vote against," Sasuke said immediately. "He still admitted to working with Orochimaru for a prolonged period of time."

"I'm going to have to go nay, too," Yamato said, frowning. "Nothing personal, but I don't know enough about you."

Kakashi shrugged. "I am completely indifferent. It's true that in most circumstances it would be a no brainer to not trust him, but. I don't know. I think Naruto's on to something, and I know Nao is a fairly good judge of character."

Yagura snorted. "You can't remain neutral. Pick a side, Kakashi."

Kakashi shrugged again, scratching the back of his head. "I guess I'll vote with Naruto and Nao on this. Should be interesting, at least."

"I don't trust him," Sai added, giving another fake smile.

"And I vote we give him a chance," Yagura said dryly, running his hand through his hair. "Alright, I guess we'll take him back to Konoha now and let Tsunade decide what to do."

Jūgo nodded his head, accepting this.

"Yo."

Eyes snapped towards the voice. A small orange toad hopped into the clearing. Naruto frowned at him, stepping forward. "Gamakichi? What are you doing here? Does Pervy-Sage need me?"

"Not you," Gamakichi said dismissively. "I'm delivering a message to one Kame."

"But you aren't normally a messenger," Naruto said, looking confused.

"I lost a bet, it's not important."

"What's the message?" Yagura cut in smoothly.

" _The crow will be home_ ," Gamakichi said. I stilled, processing the information.

 _So Itachi will be back in Konoha by the time we return?_ I translated, stealing a glance towards Sasuke. He was frowning thoughtfully at the message.

"Does the chick need to be informed?" Yagura asked softly.

Gamakichi was quiet for a couple of seconds. "Mm. Nah. The crow will sing for the chick."

Yagura nodded his head.

"Wait, what? What's going on?" Naruto asked, looking bewildered.

Kakashi placed a hand on top of Naruto's head. "I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough."

Yagura and I exchanged glances. Slowly, I said, "It would seem that we have even more evidence to sentence Danzō. However, before we can reveal this information to the Council, the. witnesses. will need to be informed. When we return to Konoha, I would imagine Tsunade and. and the crow will want to debrief us in some manner."

Naruto grinned. "Oh, so it's more evidence. Why didn't you say so? No need to be all weird about it!"

Yagura snorted and looked away. "There's very good reason to be _weird_ about it, Naruto-kun. But here and now is neither the time nor place. Let us return to Konoha. And Jūgo." Yagura gave Jūgo a sidelong glance. "You can either walk with us with your hands chakra-bound, or we knock you unconscious and carry you. If you walk with us, you _will_ behave."

"She can control me. I will behave," Jūgo said firmly, still looking at me.

I inched away from his focus again, feeling my cheeks warm and I steadily looked away. Yagura placed a hand on top of my head. "Fine. Kakashi, get him set up. When you're finished, we'll move out."

. . .

. .

.

**Interlude - Nao - 8**

I did not see Ka - _Yagura_ for another week. It took that long for Jiraiya to arrive and for plans to be set in motion. Not that I was privy to the plans for the moment. I knew my place— I was only a bargaining tool, not a player. Not yet, at least.

I stayed in Konoha, suspending my training trip for the moment.

Shikamaru moved his knight into place. "Checkmate."

I stared down at the board another moment before I sighed. "Why did I even bother?"

Shikamaru shrugged and fell back, his arms splayed out around him. "Why do girls do anything? Where's the food anyway?"

"Here," Chōji said, plopping down in between us. He had trays of food balanced on each of his arms. I carefully took one of the trays for myself, and split my chopsticks. Chōji placed one of the trays on Shikamaru's stomach, and left the other two trays for himself.

Shikamaru sighed. "It's too troublesome to sit up."

"Then your food is going to get cold," Chōji told him, happily starting to eat. "Hey, where'd Ino-chan go?"

I nibbled on the shrimp. "Umm. Big Sis said something about visiting a new nurse at the hospital? Or something? I don't know. I wasn't really paying attention."

Chōji blinked at that and shrugged, nonplussed. "Oh, well. More for us, then."

I smiled at that. "Mn."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Thank you,** Catrona for the aaaamaaaaaaazing fanart. Link is on profile, or you can check out their dA or my (charredblossom16) favorite's gallery.
> 
>  **Question:** What's your screen saver?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	32. Arc XII - Life-Chakra

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Interlude - Omniscient - 9**

Tenten entered the home with practiced ease. She loved coming over to Nao's home —the girl had the _best_ private training grounds out of all her friends. Even Neji's had nothing on Nao's— not only to train, but to simply relax. She remembered how she frequently visited the place in her academy days, and again when Nao lost her eye and needed assistance in re-adjusting. Even now, years after the incident, Nao had to switch up her routine and Tenten had to assist her to get her back in the game.

Tonight, though, Tenten didn't come over to train or help her childhood friend. Tonight was all about relaxing, giggling, and generally having a good time.

"Hiya, Tenten!" Ino chirped, rushing past Tenten as she carried a tray of goodies. Tenten closed the front door behind her, slipping off her shoes and putting on slippers.

"Oi, Ino-chan, slow down," Tenten said, her lips twitching with amusement as she followed behind the blonde girl.

Ino turned around long enough to stick her tongue out before she turned back around and skipped away.

Tenten laughed, ignoring Inoichi's exasperated eye-roll as he turned the page in his novel. Tenten followed Ino into her room, finding that Hinata, Nao and. Temari. were there.

"Temari-san?" Tenten asked, blinking in surprise.

Temari waved her fingers in a greeting. "I'm as surprised as you. I'm here as an ambassador for Sand, and Shikamaru mentioned to Ino that I was here and I guess she thought I would be _perfect_ for this."

"Oh hush, you party pooper," Ino snorted, setting down the tray of. _mmm._ dangos and tea. Nao and Hinata both smiled faintly in amusement at Ino's annoyance. Tenten sat down next to Hinata, who sat next to Nao, who sat across from Temari and Ino.

"Now that everyone is here, though," Temari said pointedly, "what are we supposed to do?"

Ino clapped her hands excitedly. " _Ooo_! Let's dress up and do make-up!"

Nao paled, a plaintive whimper escaping her and Tenten had to smother her snickers. She remembered that Ino absolutely adored using her younger sister as a doll when they were younger. The poor girl was probably scarred for life.

"No," Temari said bluntly.

Ino pouted.

"Fine," Ino finally sighed, "but then you have to answer some questions, missy."

Temari raised a mocking eyebrow.

"So how long have you and Shikamaru been dating?" Ino asked slyly, and Hinata, who had been taking a dainty sip of her tea, choked a bit. Her face took on a bright red hue. Tenten snickered and Nao tilted her head curiously, a faint blush on her cheeks.

Temari flushed. "W-We are _not_ dating. A-As if I would ever date such a lazy ass!"

Ino cackled and Tenten smirked, slyly saying, "So defensive, Temari-san."

Ino nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, Temari-chan. What're you hiding? Maybe you aren't dating (yet), but maybe you _waaaaant_ to?"

Temari glared. "That's none of your concern! And what about you? Are _you_ dating anyone?"

Ino gave a woeful sigh. "Alas, I am not."

"And _you_?" Temari challenged, turning to Tenten.

Tenten blushed brightly. "N-Not _dating_ , exactly."

And like a shark that smelt fresh blood, Ino was on her in an instant. "Who do you like?"

"Ino-chan," Tenten whined, "go back to questioning Temari-san."

Ino smirked.

"Nao-chan, control your sister!" Tenten begged.

Nao hesitated a moment before she stood up and glomped her sister from behind. She wrapped her arms and legs around her and, due to her small stature, was able to body hug the teenager without causing any real trouble for her.

Ino gave a giggle. "Aww. I love you, too, Nao-chan."

"Sis, I want to do something else," Nao mumbled into her sister's back. "Please? For me?"

Ino melted. " _Awww_ , okay. What do you wanna do?"

Temari hid her snickers behind her hand and Tenten and her exchanged amused glances.

 _Whipped_ , Temari mouthed.

 _So much_ , Tenten mouthed in return.

"I know!" Ino said suddenly, jumping up onto her feet. "Let's put our kunoichi prowess to the test! Let's steal something!"

Nao stared dumbstruck at her sister, so shocked that she released her hold on her and fell on her bum. Hinata gasped, her eyes wide, and Tenten and Temari exchanged more glances.

"Don't worry, we'll return everything tomorrow," Ino said quickly, "but how much fun would it be? Come on!"

"I-I don't think that's a very good idea," Hinata said hesitantly.

"Sis, what if we get in trouble?" Nao asked, shifting nervously.

"If you get caught then I guess you aren't that good of a kunoichi," Ino declared. "Let's make a game out of it. We'll all come up with three items to steal, put them on slips of paper, and put 'em in a bucket. And they have to be _hard_ items to steal —like Tsunade-sama's sake! Then we'll draw three slips from each bucket and the first person to steal all three — _without_ getting caught— by the end of the night, wins the title Kunoichi of the Year!"

They all exchanged glances.

"I'm in," Temari said, smirking. "This seems interesting and it beats sitting around and gossiping."

"Alright, I guess I'm up for it," Tenten admitted.

Nao swallowed roughly, her fingers jammed into her pockets. "O-Okay."

"I. I guess," Hinata whispered slowly, still looking uncertain.

"Good! Then let's go!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Now everyone has to draw three slips," Ino said, holding out the bucket.

Each girl withdrew three slips of paper and in perfect synch, they all groaned.

"Fuck," Temari muttered.

"My," Tenten grumbled.

"Life," Ino, Hinata, and Nao chorused.

. . .

. .

.

"Team Saigo-no-Shudan has returned from our mission, Hokage-sama," Yagura said evenly. "We have succeeded in obtaining evidence to confirm and persecute the suspect, Danzō."

Tsunade stared at the group for several moments, her eyes resting on each member before lingering a little longer on Sasuke. "Good work, team. I've already heard Shiori's report on what information was found. I deem this mission a success, then. Sai, can you take selected members to the ROOT bases?"

Sai gave a slow nod.

"Shizune, please escort Sai to T&I. Inform Inoichi that he, Shikaku, Chōza, and Ibiki will follow behind Sai to the bases. You will accompany them. Do not engage the bases, merely note that they are there, and confirm that they are ROOT bases. When you have done that, locate Danzō."

Shizune bowed lowly before leaving the room and locking the door behind her. Tsunade stood up from her desk and moved to the wall, activating a seal. Intricate drawings activated around the walls, glowing red and blue. Tsunade closed her eyes, her hands raised into the _Rat_ seal as she activated even more seals that we could not see.

A full minute ticked by before she finally lowered her hands and moved to sit behind her desk. Her eyes were hard. "There is more evidence against Danzō. More reasons for his persecution, and for his inevitable execution. These reasons must be brought to light before the Council, but not before the world. Do you understand?"

I had a feeling where this was leading. I snuck a glance at Sasuke, a worried frown pulling my lips down.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Yagura answered for us.

"What you are about to hear will be difficult, and you will want to deny it," Tsunade said, her eyes on Sasuke. "However, I can assure you this is very much fact. It is. it is regarding the Uchiha Massacre and Uchiha Itachi."

Sasuke stiffened and I instinctively stepped towards him. I reached out a hesitant hand and placed it on his arm, knowing what was coming would be difficult. Naruto, seeming to catch the hint, moved to stand on Sasuke's other side and placed a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke didn't seem to notice us, his eyes focused completely on Tsunade. Kakashi and Yamato shifted to stand on either side of us, and Yagura glanced away, out the window.

Tsunade let out a slow breath. "It seems that months before the Massacre, the Uchiha Clan was planning a coup d'état against the Leaf."

"That's a lie," Sasuke immediately hissed, anger flaring in his eyes.

"Yeah, the Uchiha Clan was one of the big clans, right?" Naruto demanded, his brow furrowed.

"This is a fact," Tsunade said flatly. "We have multiple reasons to believe this, and we have found multiple ways to confirm it —and confirm it, we have. The Third Hokage learned of this coup d'état and attempted to negotiate with the Clan to prevent the civil war. Before negotiations could be completed, however, Danzō ordered an ANBU operative to eliminate the threat."

A heavy silence fell upon us.

"What?" Sasuke asked, seeming to say the word as if it were a heavy rock.

Tsunade stood up from her desk, turning away and looking out at the Leaf from the window. "Uchiha Itachi was ordered by Danzō to massacre the Uchiha Clan in secret and defect from Leaf. From there, he was to become a spy for any potential threats against the Leaf and pass information along back to us through Jiraiya's spy network. This order was against the Third Hokage's wishes and by the time the Hokage learned of this, the massacre was done. However, Uchiha Itachi was unable to completely fulfil this order, leaving behind a child. The one person he could not kill.

"The truth was to be buried with the trio. If the truth came out, an uproar would come about in the Leaf and due to its state from the Kyūbi, that was the last thing that was needed," Tsunade finished.

"That's. that's not true," Sasuke snapped. "Itachi. _That Man_."

"It's been confirmed," Tsunade said levelly, her eyes resting on Yagura. "From sources that we know are true."

"It sounds like something Itachi would do," I said quietly. "He wanted. he wanted to keep the truth from you, right? And we. we already knew that the massacre was fishy."

Sasuke didn't seem to be hearing me. He stared at Tsunade, his expression disbelieving.

Tsunade did not turn around. "Yagura. If you would please."

Yagura moved forward and rested a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Come on, boy. There's someone you need to talk to."

Sasuke didn't respond or seem to even notice as Yagura guided him out of the room.

"Wait. where are you going? Where's he taking him?" Naruto turned to me, watching as the door closed behind them and locked.

"To see _him_ ," I said quietly.

Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief.

"And how did you sneak someone like _him_ in the Leaf?" Kakashi murmured.

Tsunade gave a snort. "Don't concern yourself with that."

"But still." Yamato trailed off. "What are we going to do about Itachi? Is he. I mean. will he still be a missing-nin?"

"We have reason to believe that Itachi did not slaughter the Uchiha Clan alone, nor was Danzō the only one interested in their demise," Tsunade said vaguely, turning back around.

"We were right that he wasn't alone!" Naruto exclaimed, looking triumphant.

Tsunade gave a slow nod. "It's time that you know Yagura's story. Nao, if you would please."

I stepped forward, taking a deep breath before I began. "As you know, I had been allowed to go on a training trip of my own after the rest of Team 7 left for theirs. On a routine trip, I happened across a scene where I found a young boy in mortal danger, surrounded by hostile targets. I engaged and eliminated the threats before checking on the boy. He claimed to have amnesia and uncertain of what to do. I brought him back to the Leaf with me for further instructions."

"When Nao and the boy returned to Leaf, Inoichi quickly identified him and brought him to T&I. There, we confirmed that he was Yagura, ex-Mizukage. It seemed that he had been betrayed, a coup d'état had formed against him and he was tricked. They, the Mist, assumed —still do from our sources— that Yagura died. But they aren't our concern. You see. from before Yagura's reign, a couple months in fact, Yagura was approached by a young, masked man. And within moments of eye-contact, Yagura was ensnared within a Genjutsu and lost complete control over himself."

" _What?_ " Naruto exclaimed and Yamato gasped, Kakashi's eye narrowed.

"It was only until the coup d'état that Yagura was able to slip out of the Genjutsu. He would have died had Nao not intervened," Tsunade said swiftly, taking a seat back behind her desk. "During the interrogation, information came to light. The masked man goes by the name of Uchiha Madara. He is _not_ the same Uchiha Madara that we know, though, and the masked man currently goes by the name of Tobi. He's in the Akatsuki, and we have reason to believe that not only is he the real reason, but that it was _he_ who assisted Itachi in the Massacre."

"Who exactly is this Tobi?" Kakashi asked.

Tsunade shook her head. "We don't know. It was thanks to Yagura that we were able to discover this information in the first place. He's our main source regarding the Akatsuki, as well. We were lucky that he was able to escape Tobi and the 'Mist's plans for him and come to us."

"But you didn't answer our question. what are we going to do about Itachi?" Yamato asked.

"The official cover story will be that Danzō arranged a very dangerous criminal, who's name will remain anonymous due to lack of substantial information, to massacre the Uchiha Clan. Itachi returned home to find the majority of his clan already dead, and quickly realizing the situation, attempted to eliminate the threat. Realizing the threat was too powerful, he had no choice but to allow him to escape. After informing the Third Hokage of the situation, the Hokage saw the potential of the situation. He knew that the other countries would be shaken up if such a strong shinobi was able to enter the Leaf, and he knew there was a mole, but he couldn't figure out who. So he sent out Uchiha Itachi to claim the massacre as his own.

"He knew the real culprit wouldn't take credit, as the real culprit didn't want to draw attention to themselves. He claimed the massacre as his own and became a missing-nin to serve as a spy for the Leaf. He was to gather information on the real murderer, as well as any other potential threat. He was to uncover the mole and when he did, he was to return to Jiraiya with the information."

"But that's." Naruto frowned. "that's lying."

"That's part of the job, Naruto. The civilians couldn't handle the truth," Tsunade said quietly. "They couldn't deal with _your_ truth, Naruto. Do you really want them to start thinking that the Uchiha Clan was prepared to turn and slaughter them all?"

Naruto pursed his lips, looking away stubbornly. " _Ttt_."

"There will be times in a shinobi's career where difficult choices have to be made," Kakashi said, surprisingly gently, at Naruto. "It'll be even harder as Hokage."

"So then. Itachi will be returning to Konoha with his mission complete?" Yamato summarized.

"Correct. He will be present during Danzō's meeting and will be adding his own evidence against him."

"Speaking of Danzō." Kakashi trailed off. "when will we be?"

"We'll need both Uchihas present. When Sasuke is ready, we'll move to detain Danzō and bring him forth before the council. I don't want Sasuke being unable to control himself and attempting to kill Danzō before he could be properly tried," Tsunade said dryly.

"What do you want us to do until then?" Kakashi asked.

Tsunade gave a small smile. "Yagura will have escorted Sasuke outside the village to meet with. _him_. They'll be out of the village until he's ready to return. In the meantime, I want you guys to stay in the village and relax. There's a lot coming up and I want you guys able to respond instantaneously."

"Aren't you worried about Danzō catching wind of Sai's betrayal and leaving?" I asked.

Tsunade's smile took a predatory turn. "I'm actually hoping he'll try. My most trusted ANBU are more than anxious to be the ones to detain him —after all, it would seem awfully guilty if he started running at the first sign of trouble."

Naruto looked away. "I know you want us around, and all, Baa-chan, but. this has to be hard for Sasuke and he's family."

"I know you want to go to him," Tsunade said gently, "but right now, you're going to have to give him and Itachi some space. Now, I want a report on my desk by tomorrow morning. You're dismissed."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Naruto swung an arm around my shoulder as he guided me away from the Hokage tower, sighing. "Man, this sucks."

"At least the problem should be resolved soon enough," I pointed out tentatively.

Naruto sighed again, this time more loudly. "It still sucks!"

I gave a faint smile. "I know. What do you want to do?"

"Knowing Sasuke, he'll be having a temper tantrum for _days_ ," Naruto whined. "What are we supposed to do until then?"

"Well. you _could_ try training."

We both stopped, turning around to find Jiraiya hopping down from a nearby roof and giving us a wide grin.

"Ack. Didn't I ditch you when I returned to Konoha?" Naruto accused, already pushing me behind him. "You're here to hit on my teammate, aren't you? She's too young!"

"I am _not_ ," Jiraiya muttered. "I _was_ on my way to switch with Yagura in babysitting duty, but I'm not expected for a while, so I figured I might as well hang out with my _favorite_ student."

Naruto's eyes narrowed and he scrutinized Jiraiya. "What do you want?"

Jiraiya gave a gasp. "What makes you think I want anything? Can't a teacher want to hang out with his student?"

Naruto folded his arms over his chest. He asked again, stubbornly, "What do you want?"

Jiraiya huffed. "I need a place to stay."

"Ah- _ha!_ " Naruto exclaimed, pointing a finger at him. "I _knew_ it. Well the answer is _no_."

"You can stay with my family, Jiraiya-sama," I offered politely. Despite his perverseness, he was still a Sanin and I was certain that Papa wouldn't refuse. Jiraiya looked triumphant and Naruto looked horrified.

"No!" Naruto shouted, crossing his arms in an _x_ fashion. "Absolutely not! Stay _away_ from my teammate, _Pedo_! Fine, you can stay with me."

Jiraiya grinned widely. "Thanks, brat. So what are we having for dinner?"

" _I'm_ having ramen, _you're_ having whatever you scrounge from the trash," Naruto grouched.

Jiraiya gave a wounded whine. "So mean. Nao-chan, _you_ wouldn't treat _your_ sensei like that, would you?"

"My sensei wouldn't really like it if I did that," I admitted, giggling at Naruto's annoyance. "But we have a different relationship than you two."

"So I've noticed," Jiraiya said, his tone no longer filled with good-natured humor and his eyes taking a gleam to it. I felt uncomfortable at the shift, and frowned. Naruto didn't seem to notice, because he rolled his eyes.

Naruto patted the top of my head. "Alright, if that's all you want, Nao and I will be on our way to Ichiraku. She promised to pay."

I winced. "I know."

Jiraiya giggled with glee at my distaste. "Then I guess I better go switch with Yagura. Later, kiddies."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"I found this puppy on my way to pick you up," Yagura said dryly, leaning into the doorway of my home. Shikamaru looked up from his seat in front of me, placing another piece and muttering a quiet _check-mate._ Ino was still taking a shower from their last mission —it had apparently been a rather gross one and when I had inquired, she merely squealed in distaste, glaring at the air, before running off. Chōji was at the store with my mother, as he had offered to help her get the groceries and Shikamaru was playing with me.

Yagura walked into the room, adjusting his mask to better cover his face and behind him, Jūgo walked in. He looked uncertain, but when he found me, he gave a tentative smile and moved to stand behind me.

I stood up from my seat, eyeing him warily and looking over at Yagura.

"The puppy's memories were checked and extracted," Yagura drawled. "He's had his blood taken, among a few other things, but for the most part he's been deemed. acceptable. So long as he's in the company of one of the team's members. He seemed to be more inclined to obey _you_ , though, than anyone else."

I blushed at that, embarrassed both at Jūgo's unwavering stare and the fact that it seemed I was trusted to take responsibility over Jūgo.

"And what's the puppy's name?" Shikamaru asked, placing the pieces away.

Jūgo looked uncertain, shifting uncomfortably.

_He probably has to take a new name now that he's in Konoha. I wonder if this means he'll become a shinobi of the Leaf? Doubtful. Judging from the seals on his wrist —chakra sealing, S-Rank— he's not entirely trusted, yet. Maybe time will tell, though._

"His name is Orenji Koinu," Yagura said smoothly, "you can formally meet him later, though. We need to get back to training, dove. Let's go."

"Hai."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Jūgo sat against a tree, numerous birds resting over him and he seemed actually content with the circumstances. Yagura sat on a boulder in the middle of a large clearing, his mask discarded. It seemed he wasn't concerned if Jūgo knew his real identity, but then again, neither was I—I sat on the grass below the boulder, looking up at him.

"Life-chakra?" I echoed, staring in confusion.

"A lesson I wished I'd never have to teach you," Yagura said softly, his eyes trailing downcast. "However. however it's something that must be done. You know how when you call forth a Shinigami to seal something, or someone, away, you lose your life in consequence?"

I nodded my head.

"That's because you're using a very different kind of chakra. You understand how chakra is the fusion of both physical and spiritual energy. I must emphasize on _fusion_ , because life-chakra. life-chakra is raw spiritual energy."

My eyes widened.

"It's the strongest kind of chakra. Even bijū chakra looks laughably weak in comparison," Yagura murmured. "But the risks in using the chakra. We fuse our chakra because our physical bodies were never meant to use life-chakra naturally. The spiritual energy inside of us. the energy we draw on is our very essence. Our very _soul_.

"Each time we fuse the energy, we draw on the echoes of the energy. When we fuse our chakra, we _never_ draw upon the _real_ energy, the wisps and discarded parts. It is _that_ which flows through us, wrapping around outer nervous and cardiac systems. Even drawing upon the echoes, it taxes us. It's why chakra-exhaustion and chakra-overload is such a dangerous and real threat. Our body needs those reminiscences of our spiritual energy flowing through us to survive. But too much and our physical forms can't handle it.

"When you call on life-chakra, you are destroying your physical form. Even a little bit will severely shorten your life. The amount required to summon a _Shinigami_. the amount required to summon a Shinigami is only a small portion, and even then you lose your life," Yagura said, his voice quiet, but it held an edge to it.

I chewed on my bottom lip. "If it's so strong, why don't more use it? Why don't shinobi use it for kamikaze missions. take down as many enemies as they can?"

"Because not everyone _can_ call upon it," Yagura finally said. "But I—I think you can. That's why I'm going to tell you all I can about it. I don't want you to try. I don't want you to practice or train in this. I twant you to be able to have the knowledge in case. in case you need to."

"Can you call on it?" I asked quietly.

"Yes," Yagura admitted.

I shifted. "Is that why you think I can? You see something of yourself in me?"

"No," Yagura answered, shaking his head slowly. "I can't put my finger on it, but. but I have a feeling you're more attuned to your soul than most. I almost feel like."

When he fell silent, I whispered, "Please continue, Sensei."

"I almost feel like you're more spirit than you are physical," Yagura finally answered.

The giggles echoed in my head.

( _More there and here, huh? More there than here! Hehehehe! But how right is he? Is our body so frail that justa puff-puff-_ puff _of wind will blow-blow-_ blow _us away? Have us fly-fly-_ fly _up-up and away? At least we'd be free-free-_ free! _Hehehe!_ )

Goosebumps crawled up and down my arms, and my stomach churned at the high-pitched voice. My fingers curled into my palms, digging into the skin.

Yagura placed a hand on top of my head. When I looked up, Yagura was awarding me with one of his rare, soft smiles. "Don't take it the wrong way, Nao-chan. It's like your intuition —it's simply another characteristic of you. Now listen closely, Nao-chan. This is the only lesson I'll give on the matter."

I closed my eyes, nodding my head. "Yes, Yagura-sensei."

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude - Nao's POV - 9**

I fidgeted nervously at the hospital. I sat on the hospital bed, Tsunade examining my eye. She pulled back, her face somber and she shook her head. "No change. I'm sorry, Nao-chan."

I gave a soft smile. "It's alright, Tsunade-sama. Truth be told, I didn't expect anything different."

Papa cleared his throat, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and squeezing my shoulder with his hand. "And—and her?"

Tsunade smiled. "It seems her tumor hasn't made a resurface, as predicted. She's still in good health, Inoichi-san."

Papa's shoulders seemed to sag with relief. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. I'm sorry for any trouble, it's that when she fainted the other day, I just..."

Tsunade gave a nod, her eyes taking a sympathetic light. "Considering how it's a miracle in the first place she survived her childhood, I understand your concern. It seems, however, it was _only_ a fainting spell. I can't find anything physically wrong with her, apart from her eye, and I can assure you it has no connection."

Papa's smile seemed a little strained. I leaned against him, offering him what comfort I could.

"It's okay, Papa," I whispered quietly. "I promise I'm okay."

And that was the first lie.

Because what caused my fainting was nothing physical. At least, I didn't perceive it that way.

No, no.

It was the high-pitched giggles that overtook my senses and the terrible, horrible feeling of waves crashing over me and burying me.

( _Liar, liar~_ )

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** What are on the slips of papers the girls found? Give me at least six (because I can only think of two.!). Or you know, if you don't want to then tell me about your Thanksgiving dinner(s).
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	33. Arc XIII - Trial

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

**Interlude - Omniscient - 10**

Hinata stared down at her slips of paper, hyperventilating (Nao was in a similar state) and willing herself not to faint.

_**If you're Hinata, you have to steal Naruto's boxers. If you're Nao, then you have to steal Kame's boxers. If you're neither, then you have to steal Kakashi's porn.** _

_**Neji's hair-care products.** _

_**Kakashi's porn.** _

Hinata's bottom lip quivered and she was starting to feel light-headed. _P-Porn? Neji's hair-care products? N-N-N-N-N-N-Naruto-kun's bo-bo-bo-boxers?_

She fainted.

Nao, on the other hand, was having a hard time trying not to do the same.

_**If you're Hinata, you have to steal Naruto's boxers. If you're Nao, then you have to steal Kame's boxers. If you're neither, then you have to steal Kakashi's porn.** _

Nao whimpered. _Yagura's_ boxers _? Why? Why, Ino,_ why _?_

_**Kakashi's porn.** _

_**Ibiki's bandanna.** _

_I don't want to touch Kakashi's porn! I don't want to touch porn, period! And Ibiki-san. actually, that might not be so bad. At least I_ know _Ibiki outside of the Chūnin Exams, as he's come home with Papa many times for dinner._

Deciding that Ibiki was where she should start (she wasn't even quite sure what she would do about the. others), Nao felt a bit better. She would definitely procrastinate the other two to the best of her ability.

Ino, however, was secretly pleased that it seemed two of her slips of paper had made it to the right owners. Although she wasn't overly thrilled about her own slips.

_**Naruto's premium ramen.** _ _At least he's away with Jiraiya. That'll make things easier._

_**Iruka's papers WHILE he's grading them.** _ _Challenging, but not degrading._

_**Lee's jumpsuit.** _ _Ew._

Ino pursed her lips. _I'll grab Naruto's ramen first, then Iruka. He usually grades the papers up 'til ten at the academy every Friday and Thursday. Thankfully, tonight is a Friday._

Tenten was less than pleased with her results. Mostly because they were all so. gross.

_**Asuma's cigarettes.** _

_**Kurenai's panties.** _

_**Kakashi's porn.** _

_I could handle Asuma. I could handle Kurenai's panties. But Kakashi's porn? I don't know where that's been! I don't want anything to do with it!_

Temari was panicking for one thing she had to steal. She kept staring at it with absolute horror, hating how it didn't change no matter how much she willed otherwise.

The first two didn't bother her.

 _ **Chōji's chips**_ & _**An embarrassing picture of Shikamaru**_

But the last one.

_**Tsunade's sake.** _

_This could seriously fuck up the treaty between Suna and Konoha,_ Temari thought despairingly. _Maybe I could trade with one of them?_

Before she could open her mouth, Ino cleared her throat.

"Alright, no trading," Ino declared, "if you do, you're a whiny-loser. I'll stay here with Hinata to tell her the same thing whens she wakes up. As for everyone else, go ahead and start!"

Nao whimpered.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Temari resolved to tackle the hardest one first, get it out of the way, so to speak. She leapt from roof to roof to the Hokage's building before stopping before the front doors. Undoubtedly, there would be numerous ANBU around, so she couldn't sneak in, nor could she force her way in. She could lie and say she wanted to talk to Tsunade, but then what? Ask her for her sake? Not only would it be an insult, but the Hokage would probably kill her!

 _Oh this_ sucks, Temari thought bitterly, eyeing the receptionist (who was ignoring her). _There's no way I can walk up and grab Tsunade's sake. Even if I do end up grabbing it, there's no way that Tsunade wouldn't eventually notice. Maybe if I stole some of the exact same stuff and repla—_

Temari rolled her eyes, feeling exasperated. _Of_ course. _Think like a_ kunoichi, _not a common thief._

Temari strolled up to the receptionist, smiling politely. "Hello?"

The receptionist looked up, recognizing Temari and returning her smile with a polite one of her own. "Oh, Hello, Temari-san. Tsunade-sama is busy—"

Temari waved her hand dismissively, smiling with her teeth. "I actually wanted to ask _you_ something. I don't suppose that you know what kind of sake Tsunade-sama prefers to drink?"

"Oh. Bāningu, why?"

"So would you say that Bāningu is. Tsunade's sake?"

She blinked at that. "I suppose I would. Why?"

Temari chuckled. "Oh, no reason. No reason at all."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Temari smirked in satisfaction as she walked out of the store, carrying a bottle of Bāningu. _That wasn't so bad. Those other ones should be a piece of cake._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

Tenten stood outside of Kurenai's home. The sun had already set, casting the street in darknesses except for a couple of windows where the lights were still on. Kurenai's was one of them. Tenten swallowed roughly before she placed one foot on Kurenai's wall. Then another one. She walked vertically up the wall, reaching Kurenai's second floor window. Tenten pulled out a scroll she always carried with her —it carried the basic supplies to unlocking metal locks. One of the perks to being a blacksmith's daughter was that she was intimately familiar with these tools.

Carefully, she pulled a long, thin sheet of metal and slid it under the window. When it went all the way through, Tenten smiled. _Nothing was set off, so Kurenai doesn't have any security seals to let her know something was entering her home unawares. That doesn't mean she doesn't have any on the locks, but._

Tenten pulled on a black glove over her left hand. The tips of each finger were metallic and sharpened into a point. A highly chakra-sensitive metal. Tenten placed her hand on the window and channeled her chakra into the points. Silently, slowly, she carved out a hole barely big enough for her to slip through.

The glass stuck to her glove as she triggered the rope release at the wrist-side of the glove. Using her right hand, she grabbed the rope, before she slid her left hand out of the glove. With the glove and glass still on the inside of the house, she used the rope to slowly lower them to the floor.

Nothing happened.

Tenten breathed out a sigh of relief before she finally crawled through the window and crouched on the ceiling.

_Looks like I'm in the. study?_

Tenten pursed her lips, as she focused to further suppress her chakra. She was fairly good at the technique, but she had to remember that Kurenai was a Jōnin. Granted, there was a good chance that Kurenai's guard was more relaxed in her home—

Her breath hitched.

A second chakra had joined Kurenai's. A familiar one.

 _Is that. Asuma?_ Tenten thought, starting to panic. _A second Jōnin! Shit!_

Deciding that it was now or never, Tenten began to quickly crawl across the ceiling before she went into the upstairs hallway. She peeked into the nearest room —bathroom— before moving on to the next room. The bedroom.

She entered it quickly and crawled down the wall to the dresser.

She could feel the other chakras moving below her.

 _It's only a matter of time before they notice me,_ Tenten thought, panicked. She opened the top drawer and grabbed the first pair she saw.

_W-Wait. are they are they coming upstairs?! Shit! Shit! Shit!_

Tenten flipped off the wall and ran into the bedroom bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

They entered the bedroom.

"Honestly, Asuma."

"I'm serious, Kurenai. I can't wait any longer. Please?"

Tenten gave an inward cry of despair. _Oh my God! This cannot be happening._

Ino whistled merrily as she opened Naruto's apartment. The place was pretty clean, filled with chairs, beanbags, snacks thrown on the floor, blankets, and a fairly big T.V. There wasn't a bed and Ino had to recall that Naruto technically lived in the Uchiha district with Sasuke now and they had turned this place into their little club-house.

 _So Sasuke-kun hung out_ here _during lunch?_ Ino thought. _Now's no time to get side-tracked, Ino! Let's grab Naruto's ramen. and_ then _we can get side-tracked._

Ino smiled to herself and moved to the kitchen.

But she forgot several important things.

Shikamaru was a genius.

Sasuke hated people entering what he thought was 'his' place.

Nao needed to practice her fūinjutsu on _something_.

And Naruto was the _king_ of pranks.

So, when she opened the cabinet, she was _not_ expecting to see the ramen one second, only for it to disappear in a puff of smoke as a giant, mechanical hand lurched out at her and threw a pie.

Ino screeched as the pie landed in her face.

She blinked.

_What. the. fuck?_

That's when the floor beneath her opened up and she fell into a pit of something cold, gooey, stinky, and yellow.

She screamed. " _Naruto, you sick BRAT!_ "

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Many miles away, Naruto sneezed.

"Come down with a cold?" Jiraiya asked, looking up from his writing.

Naruto shook his head, giving a foxy grin. "Naw. got the feeling that someone's trying to break into our hideout. Nao put a whole bunch of chakra-recognition seals over the place to activate when someone who _wasn't_ one of 'us' did something we didn't like. Shikamaru, Sasuke, and I spent all third year developing the traps."

"Sounds like a mad-house," Jiraiya observed.

Naruto's grin widened. "It's my greatest work. Sasuke even bought the rooms all around my original section to expand our hideouts and traps."

When Ino finally climbed out of the pit, she was shaking from anger.

 _Boys. Are. So. Disgusting,_ Ino thought venomously, sprinting to the bathroom.

However, when she touched the door handle, it disappeared in a puff of smoke and was replaced with some kind of explosive.

Ino immediately jumped back, but it was too late. The bomb went off, covering her and the area around her in orange.

Ino whimpered.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Hinata stood outside the Uchiha compound, her face the brightest red it could be. She was teetering on the edge of fainting, but somehow she was still conscious. It helped that no one was around to see her perform the act. Especially. _him._

She gulped, slowly entering the compound. Her legs were moving mechanically.

She knew where his room was. Ino told her, and Nao had told Ino. Hinata pulled the key out from under the rock and unlocked the door. She then entered the main home in the compound.

All too quickly, she found herself in Naruto's room.

In Naruto's room.

In _Naruto's_ room.

Hinata buried her face in her hands and counted to ten, trying to slow her heartbeat. It took several tries, but she finally managed to calm down enough. She moved slowly towards the closet, opening the doors and staring down at the small drawer.

Her hands shaking, she opened the drawer.

There. Neatly folded.

Hinata fainted.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Nao had told the young man at the front that she was there to see her father. That wasn't quite true. She would see him, definitely, and she made sure to bring him a treat (as he had to leave and head back to work almost immediately after Tenten arrived), but it wasn't her _purpose_ of being in the Torture & Interrogation department.

"Well, if it isn't Nao-chan!"

Nao paused in walking down the hallway, looking back behind her to see Anko skipping to her, dango stick in hand.

"How you doing, cutie?" Anko asked, grinning widely. "Tell your Mama I said thanks for the lunch she brought the other day. It was _delicious_."

Nao smiled shyly. "M-Mm. I will."

Anko peered at her, scrutinizing. "You look like you're about to do something illegal."

Nao whitened.

Anko blinked in surprise. "What? Seriously? What's going on, shortie? You better tell me or I'll be forced to publicly humiliate you!"

Nao fidgeted. "I-um. I just. Ino-chan is having a party, you see. and we're playing a game. L-Like a scavenger hunt. A-And. um."

"Wait. are you _stealing_ things?" Anko asked incredulously.

"We'll give them back tomorrow morning!" Nao quickly blurted out.

"So you're _borrowing_ them?"

Nao nodded guiltily.

Anko smirked. "Let me guess. it's a race, right?"

Nao nodded again, fidgeting. Her fingers curled into fists as she gripped the basket of treats she was carrying tightly. Her hoodie, which was finally starting to fit her, had its hood pulled up and when she lowered her gaze, it shielded her eyes.

"I like you, Nao," Anko told her seriously. "You and your sister are pretty cool girls. Your sister can be a bit. annoying, true, but she's one of the best manipulators I know, and that's saying something. So I'm going to help you out. You say you're borrowing these things, right?"

Nao nodded a third time.

"And what do you normally do, right before you borrow something?"

Nao looked up at Anko, uncertain. Then her eyes widened and a bright smile crossed her face. "You _ask_!"

Anko pulled Nao's hood down and ruffled her hair. "Atta girl."

Ino was covered from head to toe in different colors, ranging from orange to green, to yellow, to blue. She was seething, her hair was frizzy, she was sticky, and she smelt like piss. Her left eye was starting to twitch and she threw open the next set of cabinets, deftly ducking underneath the pie, and grabbing the ramen before it could disappear.

She checked the cup carefully.

Premium.

"There _are_ such things as miracles," Ino whispered, her legs shaking from relief.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Tenten was hearing things she did not want to hear. Thankfully, it was words along with a few kisses, but nothing too bad.

But she did _not_ want to be around when it got to that point.

So Tenten was working furiously on wiggling herself out the small bathroom window. She coated herself in her own chakra to make it more slick, but it wasn't helping while she was trying to push out her hips.

Tenten braced both her hands on either side of the window outside the home and pushed with all her might. Her hips were aching in protest and she felt like her skin was going to be peeled off, but she finally managed it.

She flipped out the window, landed on the street below, panties tucked in her pocket and ran like hell.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Nao was blushing as Ibiki eyed her.

"My bandanna?" he echoed. "So you can become kunoichi of the year?"

Nao's face took on an even brighter shade of red. Inoichi, who was standing next to Anko and Ryo (another interrogator), was trying hard not to grin _too_ widely. Anko was snickering quietly under her breath and Ryo was watching the exchange with mild amusement.

Ibiki stared at her another moment before he sighed. "I expect a delicious, hot breakfast when you return it tomorrow at nine, _exactly_."

Nao smiled widely. "Y-Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

Ibiki untied the bandanna and gave it to her, revealing his bald head laced with scars and burns. He then turned away from her, dismissing her. Nao clutched the cloth tightly to her and ran back over to Anko, hugging the young woman.

"Thank you, Anko-san," Nao said in a rush, "now I have to go and talk to Kakashi-sensei."

"Oh? And what does my little girl have to ask from him?" Inoichi asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"I need his porn," Nao chirped.

Nao and Hinata weren't the only ones who hyperventilated that night.

.

. .

. . .

It took three days.

I still hadn't seen them for three days, but it was three days after the meeting that the trial was made and set for. Kakashi swung by and told me, late one evening. Papa had returned from work, and Momma was making dinner. I was leaning heavily on Ino's shoulder, both of us watching some random program when Kakashi knocked.

Ino had shouted at him to enter and Papa entered the living room, as Kakashi did.

Papa, realizing what was going on, asked Ino to see if Momma needed any help in the kitchen. Ino frowned, but obliged.

"The trial is tomorrow, at noon," Kakashi said, his voice quiet. "Sasuke and Itachi will be there for the trial, but they will both leave immediately afterwards. Sasuke's calmed down enough that he can speak up on behalf of the Uchiha Clan, as well as for SS. But he's still. having trouble."

Papa frowned, taking a seat next to me on the couch as I looked away worriedly. "Do you think maybe. maybe we should go with him? I mean."

"We can't afford to lose so many active shinobi," Kakashi sighed, sitting down, "however, Tsunade-sama and I both think that a mission away will do both of them some good. Naruto and Jiraiya will go with them."

I backed up, hurt. I had to admit that it stung that I wouldn't be going with them. He was _my_ friend, too. They _both_ were. I hated going on missions without them, and perhaps it was childish, but. but I wanted to be the one to help Sasuke. Well, me _and_ Naruto. I wanted _both_ of us, but _only_ us. like we had in the past.

Papa wrapped an arm around me.

"You and I have a different mission," Kakashi said slowly, "along with Ino, Shikamaru, Chōji, Yagura and Jūgo."

My eyes widened. "Sis's team? Wait. is this a?"

Kakashi gave me an eye-smile. "From the glowing recommendation from Asuma, as well as Inoichi, Shikaku and Chōza, and a close work at their missions. they've earned a place on Saigo-no-Shudan."

A smile lit up my face. A mission with my sister? I hadn't been on one with her in _years_. I looked up excitedly in the direction of the kitchen, my stomach churning and heart fluttering. I suddenly felt lighter and it was _wonderful_.

"They won't know until _after_ the trial," Kakashi said pointedly. "And after the trial and execution, we'll head out for our mission."

I was too excited to calm down so easily, though. "Execution?"

"Given the accusations against ROOT, Tsunade-sama thought it best to not give him any chances of escape. The honor of the execution will be offered to Sasuke, knowing how much he'll demand it that way, anyway."

I smiled at that. "He'll like that. Thank you for telling me this, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi gave me his eye-smile. "Ah, no problem, Nao-chan. Speaking of Jūgo and Yagura?"

"Yagura's staying here," Papa said smoothly. "He's currently napping in the guest bedroom. Jūgo's staying at the T&I chambers for now, although."

"Although he wants to stay here, too?" Kakashi asked slyly. "My, my, Nao-chan. Aren't you popular?"

Papa's eyes narrowed. "Kakashi."

" kidding. If _that_ was the case then I'm afraid I would have to dispose of two more bodies," Kakashi hummed, patting the top of my head. I frowned at that, while Papa smiled approvingly.

"And I know the place," Papa promised.

" _Papa_ ," I sighed, giving him a mild glare. "I've already told you that I am going to grow up eventually. And one day I might even get married."

Papa chuckled. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

" _Sis! Papa's telling me that I can't get married!_ "

" _Inoichi_ ," Momma threatened.

" _Father_ ," Ino growled, stomping into the room.

I pointed at Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei said he would kill my groom, too."

Ino balled up her fists. " _I'm_ the one who taught Sakura-chan how to lose her temper, you know."

Papa gulped and Kakashi made a beeline for the door.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I fiddled with my fingers, nervously twitching. I stood close to Papa, waiting for Naruto to arrive. Jiraiya would arrive with Itachi and Sasuke. The two of us stood outside of the Leaf's Councilmen Department, a large, one-floor building not too far from the T&I Department.

I knew Danzō was already inside, bound and guarded by Yamato, Yagura and Ibiki, along with a couple of Tsunade's most trusted ANBU guards. Papa placed a hand on my shoulder, giving me a faint smile.

"Don't worry, Nao. It's going to be okay," Papa promised. Too nervous to respond, I only nodded.

But would it? We had evidence. Damning evidence. But what if he had something else? It's true that the majority of the council already knew some of the facts —that Danzō collaborated with Orochimaru in the Invasion, that he illegally kept ROOT running, and that he attempted to use Sai as a go-between again, not even a month ago. But they weren't entirely aware of the Kyūbi attack, nor of Madara or the Akatsuki, or even of the massacre. And if all went according to plan, they would only learn of the massacre at this trial.

"Sorry I'm late," Naruto said as he landed beside Papa and myself. He looked anxious. Papa placed his other hand on Naruto's shoulder and gave him a comforting smile. Naruto relaxed.

"It's alright. You're actually on time. Come along now, follow me."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Danzō was bound in seals in the center of the room. A raised platform in the form of a semi-circle was at the front of the room. In the center was Tsunade, and on either side of her were the first Councilmen, trailing down to complete the semi-circle. The ANBU Commander stood to Tsunade's right, behind her, and the Jōnin Commander (Shikaku) was to her left, which left the Nara Clan's seat empty.

I stood behind Yagura, Naruto beside me. We knew that Sasuke and Itachi were in the room behind us, listening for their cue to enter. Jiraiya leaned against the doorway between that room and this one.

"Shimura Danzō," Tsunade intoned, her eyes cold, "you are hereby accused of treason against Konoha in the highest order. The accusations are as follows: You assisted known rouge Orochimaru in illegally entering Konoha. You assisted Orochimaru in evading capture before the Invasion. You assisted Orochimaru in the assassination of Sarutobi Hiruzen, our Sandaime. You attempted another allegiance with Orochimaru by sending one of your own agents to work as go-between. You willingly gave Orochimaru vital information: the identity, strengths, and weaknesses of our ANBU. You attempted to plot treason with Orochimaru against the Leaf. You secretly kept the ANBU-Division ROOT operating, despite explicit orders to disband it, and you abused this division for your own purposes."

Danzō did not respond immediately. A full minute passed before Danzō lifted his head and opened his eyes. "You have evidence, I presume?"

"Much," Tsunade promised.

Danzō nodded his head. "But how do I know this isn't a ploy to get rid of me? Fellow Councilmen, I implore you to listen."

_(Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh! Don't look him in the eye! Hehehe!)_

Goosebumps crawled up my arms.

"Tsunade-hime abandoned this village long ago," Danzō began, "when we needed her the most. Where was _she_ when we lost our Yondaime? When we were forced to rebuild our beautiful home from the ravages of the beast? When the Uchiha Clan was wrongfully massacred—"

Naruto let out a low, feral growl and I grabbed on to his arm. His eyes held a furious light to them, a light that only grew when he saw that several of the Clan heads were starting to eye Tsunade.

"—and when _Orochimaru_ slayed Hiruzen? Hiruzen was an old friend of mine, as many of you know. Why would I ever want him gone?" Danzō questioned smoothly. "Furthermore, why would I use _Orochimaru_ , when I could do it myself, or my supposed ROOT division? If anyone used Orochimaru, it would have been Tsunade-hime. She has gained the most from his death, and he was her old teammate!"

Tsunade's face was pale with rage, and a confused light flickered in her eyes.

"Isn't that right, Tsunade-hime?" Danzō asked, locking eyes with her. "Did you not use Orochimaru for your own means?"

_(Poor Shisui! His eye is being so abused! Poor Shisui! Poor Shisui!)_

The voice was screaming with laughter. I clutched at my head, wincing.

Tsunade's brow furrowed. "I—"

"From day one, you have fought against me," Danzō said. "You all know this, noble Councilmen. You know how much Tsunade-hime detested my influence and power. Power I achieved by my _rights_ and my _services_ for this village. I only ever have had Konoha's best interest in mind, as many of you _know_."

Tsunade was staring at him.

More voices were joining in. They were all screaming, _liar, liar_. With both my hands, I held my heads, my eyes screwed shut. _Shut up! Shut up!_

"What's Obaa-chan doing?" Naruto hissed under his breath. "She needs to start pulling out the evidence and _kicking his ass!_ "

"Be quiet, Naruto," Kakashi said, stepping behind Naruto and placing a hand on his head. "These are very important proceedings."

They were getting louder and _louder_.

_(Stop him! Stop him! Or else, or else!)_

"Tsunade-hime, you planted this evidence against me, didn't you? Ordered your men to speak out against me, didn't you? And you allied yourself with Orochimaru to murder Hiruzen, _didn't you_?"

"I—I... di—"

" _Shut up!_ " I finally screamed, my eyes snapping open as I sprinted towards Danzō. "He's a _liar!_ He's got Tsunade-sama under a genjutsu with Shisui's eye! _Stop him! Stop him, or else, or else!_ "

The voices finally stopped, and I was breathing heavily, shaking.

My face flamed as I realized that all eyes were on me, and I took a step back. Danzō had turned his head to face me, his expression a perfect mask of shock.

"Tsunade-sama?" the ANBU Commander questioned softly, turning to face her before waving his hand in front of her eyes.

She didn't respond.

Tsume stood up from her seat, a snarl on her face. "ANBU, I thought you had his chakra sealed!"

"I thought we did, too," he muttered darkly, his voice coming out distorted due to the mask. "This session is momentarily on break while we take care of this mess and will reconvene in five minutes."

I was still shaking from mortification and horror at my outburst, I didn't even hear the Commander's decree. And then Naruto's hand was on my shoulder and he was pulling me back and away, and I numbly allowed him to guide me. The next thing I knew, I was in Sasuke and Itachi's room, Papa, Yagura, Kakashi, Jiraiya and Naruto there with me.

"We heard what happened," Sasuke said quietly, stepping towards me. There were bags under his eyes, scratches covering his form and his left arm was in a sling, but Itachi wasn't in much better shape.

Upon closer inspection of me, he asked, "Are you okay?"

Naruto squeezed my shoulder, his brow furrowed. "You're still shaking."

"Maybe you should sit out the rest of the trial," Yagura suggested. "Stay in here with Sasuke and Itachi. We can properly deface Danzō without you."

I swallowed roughly. "I-I. I'm fine. I just."

"You're not fine," Papa disagreed immediately. "It's an order. You've done enough."

Not arguing, I slowly moved and sat down in a nearby chair.

Naruto stood next to me, occasionally glancing at me with a worried expression, while the others talked quietly.

Minutes later, the trial started up again.

Sasuke was the first of the two Uchihas needed to leave the room, and when he had, Itachi moved to sit down next to me.

"How did you know?" Itachi asked softly.

I barely spared him a glance.

"Not about Shisui's eye," Itachi murmured, "but you remember our first meeting?" **(*1)**

I rubbed my arms. "I don't know. I do."

Itachi closed his eyes, letting out a slow breath. "You will have to explain about Shisui's eye somehow, you know. They will question you."

I did not respond.

He was right.

But I didn't know what to do.

"I told you," Itachi said. "I told you about Shisui, because Shisui told me that Danzō stole his eye long ago. I did not feel the need to tell the others, because I did not think it would be a problem."

My eye widened and I looked sharply at Itachi. Itachi was not looking at me, but at the wall across from us.

"I know what it's like to have abilities that you can't help but show," Itachi said, not seeming to talk to me anymore, "and I know what it's like to be used for them. This is not the second time you showed intuition outside your natural capabilities, and I suspect it will not be the last. But I will try and help you how I can. Because no one, I believe, deserves to be a tool."

Itachi's lips twitched. "I didn't always believe that, you know. But Sasuke can be. persistent."

I smiled at that. "Thank you, Brother."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When the trial was over, the execution occurred less than two minutes after the decree. At that time, I _did_ leave the room and stood beside Itachi as Sasuke moved towards Danzō, gripping his katana tightly.

Sasuke stood to Danzō's side, and the ANBU forced his head to lower. He raised his blade high above—

_(You're a liar, too.)_

—the tip of it gleamed in the light—

_(You should die, too.)_

—and he—

_(I'll make sure you do.)_

—brought it down.

_(Hehe.)_

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude - Nao's POV - 10**

"You. you want to train me?" I asked, my eyes widening.

Yagura gave me a faint smile. "I've been cleared by Tsunade-hime herself, and I know you haven't finished your trip. We won't be allowed outside the village for a while, but I'd like to go ahead and start personally training you. if that's okay with you."

I blushed brightly, fidgeting away. "I. I would love that. Thank you, K- _Yagura_ -sensei."

Yagura eyed me for a moment. "You're so shy. You're like a bird, like a little dove."

"A _dove_?" I echoed.

Yagura smiled at me. "Very much so, _dove_."

My cheeks grew warmer.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question** **:** Quick! You're about to watch a movie! What snack is the first thing you grab?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	34. Arc VII - Omake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOOK AT THE ARC. THIS CHAPTER IS P-T-S (PRE-TIME-SKIP).

"Hey don't you want to see it?"

Nao was fiddling with the strap on her goggles when she glanced up to find Naruto giving her and Sasuke a narrow-eyed sly look. Sasuke had an unimpressed expression, raising a single eyebrow in question.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke finally asked.

"You know what I'm talking about," Naruto said, his grin becoming more feral. "Kakashi-sensei's. real face!"

"Hn, how stupid," Sasuke scoffed, turning away.

Nao frowned at Naruto, shifting anxiously. "Kakashi-sensei wouldn't want us to see his face. He always wears his mask. I don't think he'd show us if we asked."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Then we won't ask."

Sasuke gave Naruto an annoyed look. "Whatever. I'm going home."

Sasuke turned and walked away, his hands shoved in his pockets. Naruto continued to give Sasuke that sly look. In a quiet voice, he said, "Maybe he has lips like a cod?"

The Uchiha boy faltered in his footsteps, straightening his back in attention as he considered this. Nao's eyes widened, and she had to cover her mouth with her hands to suppress her giggle.

Naruto snickered. _another push._ "Or maybe buckteeth?"

A shudder went through Sasuke.

 _Oh, boy,_ Nao thought. _Kakashi isn't going to like this._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"This is rare," Kakashi said, eyeing the trio.

"It's not _that_ rare, Kakashi-sensei," Nao said softly, fiddling nervously. "I treat you to breakfast all the time after the stone."

Kakashi's only visible eye curved up into an upside down U. "That's right, Mini-Me."

Nao's face took on a reddish hue at the reminder. In an attempt to persuade Lee to leave her alone, she had convinced the boy that she was Kakashi's star apprentice. She even went so far as to start dressing like him. The only difference being that she lacked a flack of her own to complete the look.

But her plan worked. Now Lee was off in pursuit of another girl, choosing instead to deem Nao as his Eternal Rival.

Which was fine with her.

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, "we're just, uh, celebrating your release from the hospital. Now go on ahead and eat up!"

"Alright. Then I'll eat without hesitation," Kakashi declared, staring down at the ramen bowl.

Almost in slow motion, Kakashi grabbed a pair of chopsticks, splitting them apart. His three students watched him anxiously. He gripped the upper-most part of his mask, slowly starting to pull it down—

"Ah! Sasuke-kun, what a coincidence!" Ino squealed as she, Shikamaru and Chōji appeared right in between Team 7 and Kakashi.

"Sis!" Nao shrieked, " _Move_!"

"Aw, man!" Naruto cried. "I can't see squat!"

"I'm finished. That was good," Kakashi sighed. And Ino's team finally pulled away. Ino pouted and glomped her sister, squashing her sister's head against her chest.

"Nao-chan, no need to be so rude to your _favorite_ sister," Ino pouted.

"Sorry, sis," Nao mumbled. "Your boobs are suffocating me."

Naruto sighed. "So fast. wait. what?"

Everyone glanced up to find Teuchi and Ayame staring at Kakashi, both blushing brightly. Ayame had hearts in her eyes. It would seem the duo had seen Kakashi's real face.

"Now I'm really curious," Team 7 muttered in perfect synch.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Now I'm really pumped! I'm not going to allow myself to be denied this," Naruto shouted.

Sasuke sighed. "We'll have to tail him. He'll eventually take his mask off."

"Um. I don't think that would work," Nao said hesitantly. "Kakashi-sensei is _really_ good, um."

Naruto's eyes had a fiery light to them. "All the more reason to try! I'm going to be the next Hokage, you know, and if I can't do this, I don't deserve to be!"

Sasuke smirked. "We'll split up."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Kakashi turned around another corner, his face buried in a bright red book and muttering quietly to himself. "And Junko then says.'Oh, I am losing you.'"

Naruto stuck his head out from under a roof, hanging upside down and staring intently at Kakashi. He jumped down quietly, ducking behind another wall and peering after his sensei.

Kakashi walked down a few more steps before disappearing entirely. Naruto let out an oath, running to the spot where he had been.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Sasuke stared at Kakashi for several more minutes, his eyes narrowed.

 _He hasn't moved for hours,_ Sasuke thought, annoyed.

It was true. Kakashi had been standing at the Memorial Stone for several hours now, his back turned.

Sasuke's eyes widened. _No. don't tell me._

Sasuke ran out to where he thought Kakashi was. only to find that it had been a _dummy_ that he had been watching.

 _Clever bastard,_ Sasuke thought darkly.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When Nao finally found Kakashi, she didn't bother trying to stealth her way through it. She knew he knew she was there. She walked right up to him, and started walking beside him.

Kakashi glanced down at her, lowering his book. "Not even going to _try_ and hide from me? What is up with you three today?"

Nao blushed, adjusting her own face mask. She didn't really care too much for masks, but it was fun being Kakashi's "Mini Me" "I can't say. Boys are weird."

Kakashi patted Nao's head. "Maa. True enough. While you're 'shadowing' me, though, care to help me with groceries?"

"Mn, I could help."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

The trio all stared at each other.

"So _no one_ saw his face?" Naruto demanded. "Damn it!"

"This shadowing thing isn't working out," Sasuke sighed.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

_The mission is to help out at a farm today,_ Sasuke thought, adjusting his backpack. The team exited Konoha, starting to walk down the road.

 _The mission itself is pretty boring,_ Naruto allowed.

 _But Sasuke and Naruto's real mission today is to see Kakashi's face,_ Nao thought, glancing over at her favorite sensei.

Meanwhile, high up in the treetops, a trio of wanna-be shinobi stood.

 _I've finally found you, Kakashi,_ the shinobi in the middle thought. _Kakashi. it has been a long while, but I will settle my long-standing grudge!_

"Boss, what exactly _is_ your grudge?" the crouching shinobi on the right asked.

"Boss" hit the shinobi over the head. "Idiot! Have you forgotten already?! I can't forget. It happened in the spring of three years ago."

_A girl screamed, running away._

_"You don't need to be that scared," one of her pursues exclaimed. It was a beautiful full moon that night, the night sky a perfect blend of blue and black. The woman screamed again, running out of the forest and climbing up a dirt hill._

_At the top of the hill, two trees overlooked the edge._

_"Our boss says he has something to talk to you about," the other pursuer said._

_The young woman stopped, her face pale as she turned around —as she was at a dead end now. "Your boss?!"_

_There was the sound of ropes being pulled as a young man, clothed from head to toe with only his face showing, appeared from over the ledge. He stood on a makeshift swing, a rose in his mouth, his eyes closed._

_When he was done being pulled up, he opened his eyes, taking out the rose and holding it out to the woman. "I love you. please marry me!"_

_"No," the woman said flatly, looking disgusted._

_"There's no need to be embarrassed. You can be honest and fly into my arms." The man leaned forward, opening his arms, but in the process, he fell off the swing, landing on his face._

_"No," the woman said again, more firmly this time._

_"Don't worry, even though I look like this, I have quite the sum of money!"_

_"NO!"_

_"What? You're turning me down in these surroundings?"_

_"No means no!"_

_"I made it such a romantic setting, though. how come?!"_

_"I don't like what I don't like!" the woman shrieked._

_"Why don't you stop it?" Kakashi asked, peeking out from a bush and looking over at the others with a mildly annoyed expression. He was reading another porno. "Hey, the girl doesn't like it and no matter how you look at it, you're being rejected, buddy."_

_The woman smiled, nodding her head in agreement._

_'Boss' glared at him. "You're pretty gutsy. Do you understand who we are?! Are you challenging us, knowing that we are the Moya-nin Threesome?!"_

_"Moya-nin? Never heard of it."_

_"How dare you!"_

_"Who the hell are you?!"_

_Kakashi slowly stepped out of the bushes, still trying to read his porn. "It's not worthy enough to introduce, but. well, my name is Hatake Kakashi."_

_"Oi, you're going to get it!"_

_"You're going to regret it big time!"_

_"For getting in the way of someone's romance, how dare you.!"_

_"Romance?" Kakashi asked, giving the men an eye-smile. "Isn't it an annoying one-sided love?"_

_'Boss' shrieked. "How dare you! Men! We're going to attack."_

_"Yes, sir!"_

_"4, 3, 2, 1.!"_

_The trio charged at Hatake Kakashi._

_Kakashi didn't even blink, effectively beating the snot out of all of them and tying them up with the swing._

_The woman looked at Kakashi with hearts in her eyes, Kakashi spared her a glance. " I guess I'll take you back to the village, then."_

_The woman looked absolutely thrilled at this and grabbed on to Kakashi's right arm. The duo went back to the village._

"So it means revenge from three years ago," one of the henchmen said.

"Boss has become stronger in the last three years," the other said, "so he's going to beat him in a face-to-face match."

"How dramatic."

Boss hit them over the heads. "Idiots! Who would take such a risk?! If we're going to do it, we'll do it stealthily from the shadows. Stealthily."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Team 7 reached the first stopping point —a small inn— for a break for lunch. What they didn't know (well, okay, what the _Genin_ didn't know), was that the three vengeful shinobi following them had rendered the innkeeper unconscious and taken over.

The Boss guided them to a small room with delicious food prepared. "Please eat up."

Team 7 sat around the food, Naruto's mouth watering and even Sasuke and Nao looked pleased. Boss closed the door behind them, snickering quietly.

 _Please, eat up, Kakashi_. _What you don't know is that the food contains a tasteless, odorless medicine to cause uncontrollable hiccups! Eat, and die suffering!_

Naruto glanced over at Kakashi, a determined glint in his eyes. _I will unmask you. no matter what._

"Mn? Something wrong? Why aren't you eating?"

Nao gave Kakashi an eye-smile. "We're waiting for you, Sensei."

"Well, I'm on a diet."

 _Figured he'd say something like that. Looks like I'll have to resort to more drastic measures,_ Naruto thought. He grabbed the tea kettle.

"Aaah, my hand slipped," Naruto said, throwing the pot at Kakashi. In less than a second, Kakashi had grabbed the table and flipped it over, spilling all the food in the process, so it effectively blocked Naruto's move.

Naruto shrieked. "The free food! How could you?!"

"Sorry, I unintentionally."

" _What do you mean_ unintentionally _?!_ " Sasuke, Naruto and Nao demanded.

The trio of shinobi, who had been watching through peep-holes, gave pitiful moans. "We worked so hard on that meal."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"I see, this is a pretty good idea for you, Sasuke," Naruto said, glancing at Sasuke. The two were in the hot springs. "A person would normally take off their mask here."

"Never mind that. be quiet, you idiot," Sasuke said.

Meanwhile, behind the rocks, the three shinobi peered out across the steamy water. Boss chuckled. "Kakashi, you will die here. This needle in the blowpipe is coated with medicine I prepared that will make you laugh uncontrollably. You'll die laughing."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"I don't think their plan will work," Nao said quietly to herself, relaxing in the empty girl's side of the hot spring. "I hope Kakashi-sensei isn't _too_ cruel to them.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Kakashi-sensei, are you ready yet?!"

"Aa. Coming in now."

Naruto and Sasuke looked alert as they stared at the figure of their sensei. When he was finally close enough that they could see him, they discovered that he had a towel wrapped around the lower half of his face. "Thanks for waiting. I'll soak for a little while."

Naruto and Sasuke looked despairingly while Kakashi gave them an eye-smile. Boss blew out of the pipe, shooting the dart out as Kakashi bent over. The dart landed harmlessly against the bamboo wall that surrounded the springs.

Naruto and Sasuke both stormed out of the hot springs. When they did, Naruto noticed three uniforms that he didn't recognize. He blinked at them.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

The three shinobi finally left the hot springs, all of them in less than stellar moods. Boss's eyes widened. "Where are our clothes?!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Alright, each of you work at your own posts," Kakashi said, turning and heading away. The three Genin all turned to one another, forming a huddle.

"I can't stand it anymore," Naruto muttered.

"I'm almost at the end of my patience, as well," Sasuke sighed.

Nao gave her friends a sheepish look. "Maybe we should stop, then. I _really_ don't think—"

"Then it's time for the last resort," Naruto exclaimed.

"Last—"

"—resort?"

Naruto presented three uniforms.

"No," Nao said immediately. " _No_. We are _not_ going to try and use _force_ against Kakashi-sensei!"

"We don't have any other option," Naruto argued.

"He'll smell that it's us right away," Nao retorted, her pale blue eye flashing with stubbornness. "I am _not_ fighting Kakashi-sensei unless it's in a consensual spar."

Naruto pouted. "Fine. But I went through all the trouble to get them, can't we at least, I dunno, _challenge_ him? All three of us against him. If he says no, we won't do anything, if he says yes."

"I'm not wearing that," Sasuke said, looking disgusted. "I don't know where you got it. We'll henge if you _really_ want to change clothes so bad."

Naruto sighed. " _Fine_. Sexy-no-Jutsu!"

Naruto transformed into his feminine form, complete with a skimpy bandit outfit. Sasuke face-palmed, but henged into another bandit. Nao looked hesitant.

"What's wrong, Nao-chan?" Naruto asked, his voice higher-pitched.

"I don't know what to henge into," Nao mumbled, blushing.

Naruto grinned wickedly. "You can try the Sexy-no-Jutsu. _Keheh_ — _ow!_ Sasuke, I was _kidding_. Besides, Nao's with _us_ and Kakashi-sensei. No one pervy is around."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Well," Nao said carefully, her face growing more red. "I guess I can. seeing how it's you guys. Besides. I'm kinda curious how I'll look like when I'm older."

Nao henged.

Sasuke and Naruto stared at her.

"Nao," Sasuke said, "you are _forbidden_ from growing up. And wearing pigtails. _Ever_."

Naruto was still staring at Nao. "I'm going to kill your first boyfriend. a heads up. I'll bury his body in the piss trap."

Nao flushed, releasing the henge. "I-I'll go as myself, then."

"No, wait," Naruto said, his eyes widening, "this is it! That jutsu! Kakashi will be so surprised, I bet he'll give us an opening. Nao, you _have_ to transform as soon as Kakashi accepts."

"But. but. I don't know. it felt weird using it. And my curiosity is sated. I don't really wanna."

"Please, Nao-chan," Naruto pleaded, his eyes going wide. "Pretty please? For us?"

"I—um—I just—I." Nao struggled to resist Naruto's pleading look, before she sighed. "Fine. Just. one more time, okay? And then I'm _never_ doing it again. Okay?"

"Yatta! Kakashi's face here we come!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Oi! Hatake Kakashi," Naruto shouted in his transformed form.

The three shinobi hid in the bushes. "Hey, who's that?"

"We challenge you," Naruto went on. "All of us against you. If we win, you have to do what we say, no matter _what_."

"It looks like someone else has a grudge against Kakashi," one of the shinobi suggested.

"This is our perfect chance," Boss exclaimed.

"Alright," Kakashi said, looking amused. "Bring it on, you three."

"Do it now, Nao-chan!" Naruto shouted as he and Sasuke rushed.

"Kakashi! It's time for you to pay for your crime," Boss shouted, as the trio jumped out of the bushes. "And— _eh?!_ "

Nao had transformed, her eyes growing wide as she suddenly realized. she was _not_ among her teammates.

Naruto and Sasuke seemed to realize this.

Kakashi, staring in horror of his student, _also_ realized this.

"What," Naruto deadpanned, staring at the three shinobi.

"Uh." Boss said, still staring at Nao. Nao quickly canceled the henge, her eyes watering as she ducked behind Kakashi. She was hyperventilating and her face was taking on a bright shade of red. Kakashi patted her head comfortingly, his Chidori flickering to life with his other hand.

"Sasuke, Naruto, you take the ones on the side," Kakashi said pleasantly. "The middle one with the nosebleed is mine."

"Done," the duo chorused.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, when the team finally returned to Konoha while the sun started setting, "what's behind that mask?"

"What? You want to see what's behind this mask?" Kakashi asked.

"Mn!"

Kakashi sighed. "Then you should have said that from the beginning."

"Then can you show us?" Nao asked hesitantly, an occasional disgusted shudder running through her body. She had the utmost intentions of taking a _long_ shower when she got home. And then forgetting this event _ever_ happened.

"I don't mind," Kakashi said, and the trio crowded around him anxiously. He pulled back his mask, and they all fell over in disbelief.

Behind the mask... was another mask. "There happens to be another mask behind this one. Neat, huh?"

"That's not fair," Naruto whimpered.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have super-awesome fanart! Squee! Big o'l thanks to TransformiceGurl & Fujiko-Jones. :D Links on profile, as always.
> 
>  **Question:** Cutest omake?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	35. Arc XIV - Kakuzu

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Interlude - Omniscient - 11**

Hinata, having finally recovered from her fainting, decided to do her best to ignore the boxers inside her pocket. Instead, she went straight to the Hyūga Compound. She knew that Neji wouldn't mind her borrowing his hair-care products, so long as she returned them before he used them. And she _really_ wasn't quite sure how to approach the whole porn-thing, so she was actually procrastinating.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Tenten, meanwhile, was on her way to where she knew Kakashi lived —as Gai had been quite clear as to where his Eternal Rival resided when they ran past his house _many_ a time on their morning training route. She didn't want to even _attempt_ Asuma's cigarettes— she inwardly shuddered at the thought. Her feet landed lightly on Kakashi's roof and she started to crawl down it, peering into the first window. She didn't sense anyone inside, which was fine with her. Pulling out her burglary kit, once more, she broke into a fellow Konoha shinobi's home.

 _This place is_ way _too neat,_ Tenten thought, peering around the bedroom. _It doesn't even look like anyone lives here._

She moved quietly through the room, her fingers brushing along some items. She checked under his pillow and bed, even went through his drawers, but had yet to actually find anything. Only when she opened his closet did she find a multitude of porn —collector's edition it seemed. Tenten grinned and grabbed several books, uncertain how much she needed, before she headed out of the apartment.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ino marched straight into the academy. She stormed down the hallways, throwing open the classroom door. Iruka gave a startled shout, looking up from his papers, only to find his class student in a less-than-stellar position.

She stomped over to his desk, grabbed a stack of papers he was currently grading, and then left.

" try and stop me," Ino snarled quietly under her breath.

Iruka stared in shock, watching her leave. "What happened?"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"I can't ask Kakashi-sensei for his porn because he's on a training mission with Sasuke," Nao sighed as she entered Kakashi's apartment. Pakkun sniffed and tilted his head, following after her. Nao tucked away the key Kakashi had given her back in her pocket. "But I can tell you to tell Kakashi that I'm borrowing his porn for the competition. Thankfully I ran into you."

Pakkun gave her a grin. "I'll say. I was on my way to Tsunade-sama for the bi-monthly report when I saw you trying to calm Inoichi down. No wonder Inoichi was so worked up."

Nao beamed. "Mn! Where does he keep his porn, anyway?"

"Well, he has henged porn in his closet," Pakkun said, guiding Nao into the living room. "It'll henge back into regular books after it's removed from his closet for more than ten minutes. He's got some henged porn in his bathroom, too. The _real_ stuff he usually keeps with him, or."

Pakkun slammed his paw down on a single floorboard. The floorboard disappeared in a puff of smoke and Nao peered down into the hole, looking at the lined up porn. "A chakra-recognition seal, combined with a pressure seal? Nice."

Pakkun gave her another grin. "Take what you need, Nao-chan."

"Mn. Thank you, Pakkun-kun."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Temari spotted Nao as the girl was on her way to Kame's current place of residence. "Oi, Nao-chan."

Nao stopped where she was, turning back around and tilting her head curiously as Temari jumped down from the roof. "Can you tell me what Chōji's favorite chips are?"

"BBQ," Nao said immediately.

"And where do you guys keep your family photo-albums again?" Temari asked.

Nao frowned. "Um. Sis has a photo-album in her room. oh, did you get the embarrassing picture of Shikamaru one?"

"Did you write that?" Temari asked. Nao beamed.

"Mm-hmm. Sis has a whole bunch of them, actually, I thought it would be an easy thing to do. She keeps them in the blue binder under her bed."

Temari grinned at the girl. "Thanks, Nao-chan."

"Uh-huh."

. . .

. .

.

I stood outside Tsunade's office. It was a couple hours after the trial and execution. Several more minutes passed by before the door opened and Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji stepped out. I ran to Ino, hugging her immediately. "Welcome to the team, Sis!"

Ino squeezed me tightly, picking me up and swinging me around. "Oh, this is going to be _awesome_. I finished designing the uniforms, too, _and_ they got approved by Tsunade-sama! Come on, I already made some and you are _so_ trying yours on when we get home."

My nose crinkled in distaste at the thought of Ino using me as her doll. again. but I was too overjoyed at the fact that we would be going on a mission together tomorrow to care.

"Now we have new uniforms? Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.

"So then are we eating dinner at Ino's?" Chōji asked, glancing at Shikamaru.

"Guess so," Shikamaru sighed. "Break it up, ladies. I'm hungry and we can't eat until you two stop hugging each other."

Ino glared at Shikamaru and squeezed me in defiance. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and moved past both of us, heading out the door. Ino sighed, setting me down, but taking my hand and dragging me along. "Come on, little sis. If we can get there fast enough, I bet we can you get all decked out in your new uniform before dinner!"

"Oh. yay."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ino looked at our reflections in the mirror, grinning from ear to ear. "I knew that the team was technically an ANBU Division, so I played off the ANBU look."

The uniform was close to the standard ANBU uniform. The gray vests were white, though, and there was a tattered, ruined cloak-scarf, a dark shade of blue-gray. The scarf wrapped around the lower half of my face, and the ends widened and tied together to form a makeshift cape. Only the ends looked ruined, giving it a more dramatic feel to it.

"I know it's not all that original, and I _had_ a completely awesome uniform completely individual for everyone, but Tsunade-sama wanted something co-ed and close to the ANBU," Ino said, rolling her eyes. "Although, I have to admit I still like it."

I smiled up at her, though she couldn't see my smile due to the scarf. "I like it, too, Sis. Thank you."

Ino bent down and kissed me on the cheek. "Now, let's go eat."

"'Kay."

There was a knock on Ino's door and it opened. Yagura peered in, looking indifferent. "Inoichi-san wants me to inform you that dinner is ready and we are waiting on you two."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What do you think, Yagura? Isn't she cute?"

Yagura shot her a mild glare, before his eyes settled on the uniform. "Is that our new uniform?"

"Yep!"

"Acceptable. Do you know if Tsunade-sama wants us to start wearing masks?"

Ino's eyes lit up at the thought. "I don't know. We should totally ask her, though. That would be _awesome_!"

Yagura, who normally wore a mask anyway, didn't seem to agree with Ino's enthusiasm. "Are you two going to eat dinner, or not?"

Ino glared at him. "Don't be a wet blanket. We're coming."

"Um, can I eat in this uniform or do you want me to change out?" I asked hesitantly.

"Good question. Let's change into our pajamas, _then_ we'll eat dinner," Ino declared.

Yagura gave a groan of annoyance. "We're starting without you."

"You are not," Ino retorted. "Hmm. I should make some clones and send the uniforms out to everyone else."

"I'll help," I offered and Yagura glared at both of us before he stormed away, fully intent on eating dinner without us.

"Good! After dinner, I'll need to make uniforms for Shikamaru, Chōji, Jūgo, and myself," Ino said thoughtfully. "Do you know Jūgo's sizes?"

I shook my head. "Um. I can give you an estimation?"

Ino shrugged. "Good enough. I can make adjustments after the mission."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

The following morning, Ino gave a tired, but satisfied, yawn. Yagura surveyed each of us, adjusting his scarf in the process. "Are we ready?"

"As we'll ever be, I suspect," Shikamaru observed.

"Then let's move out," Kakashi said.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"What exactly is our mission?" Ino asked. I glanced back at her, Yagura to my left and Kakashi on my right. Yagura didn't make any movements to show he heard her for a couple moments. Then he spoke.

"As you are now aware, I was privy to vital information regarding the Akatsuki. It's because of this information that spurred Tsunade-hime to create this team," Yagura said brusquely. "Some of that information was the strengths, weaknesses, and abilities of the Akatsuki members. You each left Tsunade-hime's office with folders containing these."

"Right," Shikamaru said slowly.

"We have received word that two Akatsuki members were spotted from the Fire Temple," Yagura said. "Kakuzu and Hidan. Our mission is to capture and detain, if possible, or to eliminate both targets. If we eliminate both targets, we are to bring their bodies back to the Leaf."

Ino's eyes widened. "Those two? Isn't one of them immortal?"

" _And_ he's able to transfer his injuries to another after obtaining blood," Kakashi confirmed. "Shikaku has already devised a plan for us to use. Should we debrief them now, Yagura?"

Yagura gave a short nod. "Go ahead."

Kakashi glanced back at the trio. "Listen carefully."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I kept close to Yagura, both of us crouching low on the roof. The Akatsuki member, Hidan, sat on the steps below us, his back turned. Shikamaru was beside us, and he slowly brought his hands together in the first sign.

I knew Kakashi and Jūgo were on the right side of the building, peering behind the corner, and Ino and Chōji on the left side of the building.

Yagura adjusted his earpiece, and then his mask. Quietly, he whispered into the microphone embedded in his mask, "Begin."

Kakashi flickered towards Hidan, pulling out a kunai and making a horizontal slash. Hidan, however, was as quick and turned around, pulling out his scythe in the same instance. His eyes narrowed in mild annoyance and he eyed Kakashi like an annoyed camper might eye an ant.

"You're not Kakuzu," Hidan said.

"Observant, aren't you?" Kakashi asked dryly, struggling to keep his kunai in place as Hidan placed more pressure on his scythe.

Hidan opened his mouth to say something, but froze.

"Shadow possession complete," Shikamaru said. He stood up from the roof, stretched out his hand and mimicked Hidan throwing his scythe away. Hidan tossed his scythe to the side, glaring defiantly at Shikamaru.

Kakashi gave a short nod. "Let's go."

Shikamaru jumped down from the roof, and spared a glance towards Hidan, before he turned on his heel and started to sprint in the direction of Konoha. Ino, Chōji and Kakashi darted after him.

Yagura leapt down from the roof, grabbing Hidan's scythe. "Jūgo, here."

Jūgo caught the scythe as Yagura threw it, and he swung it experimentally.

Yagura twirled his staff, slamming it into the ground and staring at the doorway.

I stared down at them, my stomach churning anxiously. then, the hairs on the back of my neck pricked and I lurched off the roof. My body curled into a defensive position and I reflexively squinted my eyes at the explosion of dust, once again grateful for my goggles. I barely had time to register that the other Akatsuki member had slammed their fist on the spot where I once was previously.

I continued to somersault backwards before I finally landed on the ground, a little further behind Yagura.

"Are you alright, Nao?" Yagura asked, not turning around, his gaze entirely focused on Kakuzu.

"Mn. I'm fine," I assured him.

Kakuzu hopped down from the roof, eyeing each of us. "Konohagakure ANBU? But none of you are wearing animal masks."

"We're a special division," Yagura said smoothly.

Kakuzu continued to eye us, sizing us up. "Where's Hidan?"

"Away," Yagura replied.

Kakuzu gave a soft hum. "I'm not interested in any of you. I don't recognize any of you, so you obviously don't have a —oh?"

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed as his eyes rested on me. "You're?"

My eye widened and I took a step back, a thrill of fear running through me at his dark gaze.

"You're coming with me," Kakuzu said.

Yagura moved to position himself between us. Jūgo's eyes narrowed. "She's not going anywhere."

Kakuzu cocked his head and straightened his shoulders. "We'll see about that."

My hands clenched into fists and a fit of defiance swelled inside me. I moved to stand at Yagura's side, my brows furrowed in a scowl and a determined glint in my eyes. "Ready, Sensei?"

"Mn. You know what to do," Yagura said. "Go!"

Jūgo leapt up into the air, throwing numerous paperbomb tags at Kakuzu. Kakuzu merely watched as the explosive tags tied to kunai landed on and around him. The explosion rocked the ground, sending up a pile of smoke and debris up into the sky as tall as the Hokage tower.

I quickly created a shadow clone of myself, leaving the clone where I once was and darting around Kakuzu. I hid behind him, in the building, preparing for the next phase. When the smoke cleared, Kakuzu's skin —which had been a dark brown— slowly returned to its normal color. Part of his Akatsuki cloak was torn, and he awarded Jūgo with a mild glare.

"Hmph. Such attacks are useless," Kakuzu muttered.

"Kirigakure no jutsu," Yagura said, his hands forming the Tiger seal. Mist surrounded the area in seconds and I charged from behind Kakuzu. In the same instance that Kakuzu heard me, his skin darkened again —even I could see it darkening from the thin mist, even though the mist was slowly growing thicker. At the last minute, my hand leapt out to his chest, electricity running along it.

I smirked. "Tōketsu-Raiton Katana."

Kakuzu froze, his entire body stiff as the cold chakra electricity slowly began to freeze his wound. Frost licked at him and his hands clenched into fists. I pulled out my katana, canceling the jutsu, and immediately, the mist dispersed. I made a movement to begin to stab his other hearts, but Kakuzu quickly substituted himself with a nearby rock.

Yagura flickered to my side. "Hmph. One heart done, at least."

"One heart?" Kakuzu echoed, straightening up. "So then you are aware of my investment in prolonged living. Interesting. I don't recall having a living enemy aware of my status."

Jūgo swung Hidan's scythe, still silent as Yagura cocked his head. "Then I guess you haven't been paying much attention to your enemies."

"Or perhaps you weren't always an enemy," Kakuzu observed. He unzipped his Akatsuki cloak and discarded it. He bent over, his eyes narrowing as his back started to bulge. I tasted bile in my mouth as I watched the stitches on his back start to break and bend. Within seconds, monsters wearing masks poured out of his back, each taking a different shape and form.

 _as predicted,_ I thought, disgust still swelling inside my gut.

"Jūgo," I said softly, "are you sure you can handle this?"

However Jūgo was already starting to change skin color. He started to giggle again, moving to stand in front of Yagura and myself. "Oooo **oooh. Kill the masks! Kill the masks! AhahahaHAHA!** "

Fire flared up from Jūgo's back and he launched himself at the first monster. The monster with wings flew up into the air, and Jūgo flew up after it. Kakuzu brought his hands together into a handseal. The remaining two masks started to move forward, standing on either side of Kakuzu.

"Raiton: Gian! Katon: Zukokku!"

The two masks opened up their mouths. Lightning poured out of one mask, bright and powerful, and fire stormed out of the other.

Yagura pushed out his right hand, water forming at the end of it, swirling and taking the shape of a large mirror. The mirror appeared to have frozen over and the moment it was completed, Yagura used the end of his staff to pull the mirror down and position it to show the reflection of Kakuzu's attacks. A reflection of the two ninjutsu shot out of it.

The four powerful attacks slammed into one another, causing the surrounding area to explode. Even though I had braced myself for impact and I was behind Yagura, the attack was still strong enough to bring me to my knees.

My eyes stung from the brightness of it, and I had to blink to clear away spots in my eyes when the light died down.

Another explosion sounded in the not-too-far-distance and I snuck a peek to see Jūgo slamming into the wind-monster, laughing all the while.

 _It's a good thing we were able to convince Tsunade-sama to allow Jūgo to accompany us,_ I thought, _and a good thing Jūgo has no qualms with fighting monsters._

"Nao," Yagura barked, "pay attention."

"Sorry, Sensei," I apologized immediately, focusing my attention back on Kakuzu.

Yagura darted forward, swinging his staff and bringing it down on Kakuzu. Kakuzu easily caught the staff, but he was pushed back a couple meters. Kakuzu threw Yagura's staff away with one hand and with his other hand he made to punch Yagura. Yagura dove underneath the punch, weaving in between Kakuzu's blows, and digging his elbow into Kakuzu's stomach.

I made a move to assist him, but a fireball prevented me. I glared at the creature, anger churning in my stomach as it positioned itself between me and Yagura. I sprinted towards it, and it continued to launch fireball after fireball. I had to twist and jump to avoid each one, and as I neared it, the second beast launched a ray of lightning at me.

My hand flew out to the lightning, and I stopped in my tracks. The lightning slammed into me, goosebumps running along my skin as I felt the overwhelming power of it. I struggled to absorb the lightning, as Kakashi had taught Sasuke and I years ago.

My arms shook as I lowered them. All my senses seemed heightened by the rush of power, but at the same time, seemed overtaxed from it. Another explosion sounded, this one far away — _Ino and the others, then—_ and my eyes narrowed.

 _I can't grab either one of them with my mind if they're going to continuously attack me,_ I thought, leaping back as another fireball came towards me. _My chakra has already been halved from the shadow clone. But._

I brought my hands into the Tiger seal. "Kirigakure no jutsu."

Mist erupted from me, my water-nature chakra dispensing into the air as a cool gas. _From Yagura's knowledge, the masks don't 'see', they sense chakra. By dispensing my chakra around the area with the mist, they'll be essentially blind. However, by keeping the mist thin enough that I can see through it._

My eyes rested on the nearest mask, one that I could barely make out the outline of. My chakra fluctuated and I willed it outside of my body, wrapping around the creature instead. The creature stiffened, and froze in place before it began to struggle violently.

A dull pain began to throb inside my head, but I ignored it, sprinting towards the creature instead. My right hand glowed white and a low hum sounded from it. "Tōketsu-Raiton!" I jabbed my hand into the mask, feeling it slide through the heart.

The entire creature seized before it convulsed and fell to the ground.

Pulling my hand back, I clutched my head, wincing. Fatigue pushed down on me, but I refused to give in. I needed to get to Yagura, and I couldn't do that with these things in my way.

I glared at the next monster, my head still throbbing as I used my chakra to hold it in place.

_Hang in there, Yagura. Please._

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude - Nao's POV - 11**

I sat the bluebells before the stone, sitting down and tucking my legs underneath me. The sun was starting to rise, barely peeking over the Hokage mountain, washing the sky in pale light.

Today, I did not sit at the Memorial Stone.

"Hello," I said. "Kakashi-sensei isn't here to talk to you, so I thought I would. Kakahi-sensei's on a training leave, you see."

As expected, the grave did not reply.

"It's kind of odd being in this graveyard," I continued, "knowing that your name is on the Memorial Stone, too. However, your family wanted you to be buried with them —metaphorically because Kakashi-sensei told me we never recovered your body— so now you have two graves."

I tilted my head. "I don't normally talk out loud during these things, but Kakashi-sensei did when he was talking to you, Obito-ue."

Obito's grave continued to remain silent, however, for the briefest of moments, I could have _sworn_ someone was watching me.

I held up his goggles. "Kakashi-sensei gave these to me; I hope you don't mind. He misses you a lot. I like these goggles —I have trouble seeing underwater, so the goggles are quite helpful regarding that.

"I suppose this must seem odd to you. This is, after all, our first time meeting each other —unless you count the countless times at the Memorial Stone. I am, essentially, a stranger, but." I trailed off.

I bowed my head. "I hope you don't mind me rambling, Obito-ue. I'll be cleaning your grave after this, so pardon my intrusion."

Pausing, I thoughtfully added, "Kakashi-sensei told me talking to you was rather helpful to him whenever he has a problem. If you don't mind, I would like to give it a try. You see, Obito-ue, I'm not quite sure what's. what's wrong with me. Ever since I was little, my memory has been. odd. As have my. abilities, if you will.

"I can't quite explain it, but sometimes. sometimes I _know_ when something is going to happen before it happens," I said. "Odd, I know. Irrational, I know, but true. There are gaps in my memories, too. Little things —but still there. And. And I've been hearing voices. Well, one voice in particular, but sometimes there are others. I am. I am uncertain how to proceed."

I let out a slow breath, my chest somehow feeling lighter than it did when I first came here. There was something nice to be said about verbally admitting it.

"Thank you for listening, Obito-ue," I said. "Now I suppose I should get to cleaning, huh?"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**Question:** _ _What's your guilty pairing? (The one pairing you shouldn't support because it's either wrong/questionable/everyone else hates 'em/etc)_
> 
> _Reviews are_ _**love** _ _!_


	36. Arc XV - Mission

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Interlude - Omniscient - 12**

Hinata fidgeted nervously as she began to make her way through the streets of the Leaf.

"Oi! Hinata-chan!"

Hinata stopped, looking over to find Tenten rushing to her and grinning. "Hey, Hinata-chan."

"Tenten-chan," Hinata greeted, smiling shyly. "Are you already done?"

Tenten shook her head. "Nah. Having trouble with the last one. You?"

"S-Same."

"What do you need to get?" Tenten asked curiously.

"K-K-K-K-K-Kakashi-sensei's p-p-p—"

Tenten waved the hyperventilating girl off. "His porn, right? As it happens, I had the same thing and I got plenty. Help me with the last one and I'll give you some of the ones I collected."

Hinata looked relieved. "Oh? Thank goodness. what do you need?"

"Asuma's pack of cigarettes," Tenten said, beaming.

Hinata brightened. "As it happens, he left some at the training ground. Kurenai-sensei was going to leave them there and scold him when he went looking for them. We can use them."

"Now we're talkin'!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ino kicked down the door to Lee's apartment. "Lee! Give me your jumpsuit, _now_!" Lee shot up right from bed, his eyes wide.

He did not question why Ino was breaking down his apartment.

Nor did he question why she wanted a jumpsuit.

All he knew was that someone wanted one of the most _awesome_ jumpsuits and was up and about this early —late— with so much energy.

"Yosh!" Lee exclaimed, jumping out of his bed.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Nao knocked lightly on the door.

A couple of minutes passed before it opened, revealing a groggy Yagura with a scarf thrown lazily around his shoulders to cover half of his face.

"This better be damn important."

Nao bowed lowly. "P-P-Please g-give me y-y-our boxers!"

"What?"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Tenten grabbed the pack of cigarettes triumphantly. "Awesome! Let's go ahead and head back to Ino's place then now that we have everything."

Hinata smiled. "M-Mn. Okay."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Temari chuckled as Tenten and Hinata entered Ino's room.

"Don't tell me you beat us," Tenten exclaimed, pouting. "You have _no_ idea what I had to go through to get Kurenai's panties."

Temari laughed. "You actually got that one?! Ha! I thought it would be pretty funny."

"You pervert," Tenten said, smirking.

Temari winked at her. "I'm still the winner."

"Damn it!"

The trio looked over to find a paint-covered Ino, who reeked of something foul, glowering furiously. "After all the shit I had to go through, I still lost?! That's bullshit!"

"Why do you smell so bad?" Temari asked, wrinkling her nose.

Ino shot her a venomous look. "Don't. Ask."

Temari laughed, leaning back on Ino's bed and smirking at everyone. "Should we go ahead and show what we have? Here's what I have: Tsunade's sake, Chōji's chips, and an embarrassing picture of Shikamaru."

Temari presented each item as she spoke, laying them out on the bed.

Ino huffed. "I've got. Iruka's papers — _while_ he was grading them— Naruto's premium ramen, and Lee's jumpsuit."

She dumped everything on the bed.

Tenten pulled out a pair of panties and carton of cigarettes, tossing each on the bed. "I've got Kurenai's panties and Asuma's cigarettes. Hinata-chan and I both had Kakashi's porn, so we worked together on that one."

Hinata went ahead and took her things out, too. "I-I also had Neji's hair care products and N-N-N-N-N-Naruto-kun's b-b-b-boxers."

She threw the aforementioned items on the bed quickly, studiously avoiding their gazes. Tenten triumphantly pulled out her bag and dumped the contents on the bed, believing it to be porn.

The girls peered at it.

"That's not Icha Icha," Ino said flatly.

Tenten blinked, then looked down and gave a frustrated cry. "I swear it was Icha Icha when I put it in here!"

"Knowing Kakashi-sensei, he probably has fake porn," Ino grumbled. "He's sneaky like his damn student. stupid Naruto."

"I'm guessing Naruto has something to do with your state," Temari said slyly.

"Shut up."

The window to Ino's room opened.

Yagura peered in, dressed out in his pajamas, but wearing his mask. Nao was slung over his shoulder. He stepped in the room and was about to put Nao in Ino's arms, but after smelling the girl, thought better of it and put her in Tenten's arms.

"Here," Yagura said flatly.

"What did you do to my little sister?" Ino demanded.

"She fainted when I handed her my boxers," Yagura said. "Good night, girls."

"Night, Kame-san," Ino huffed. Hinata offered a small wave goodbye and Temari, who didn't know the guy, didn't say anything.

Tenten snickered and adjusted Nao in her arms. "Regardless, though, it looks like Temari-chan wins. What do you want to do now?"

"Bath!" Ino exclaimed. "We're going to the public baths _now_. I'll grab Nao's pajamas —she'll wake up on the way there. probably. Let's go! Let's go! _Let's go!_ "

. . .

. .

.

I destroyed the last monster within my sights before the pain came. It wasn't the normal pain from the usage of my kekkei genkai, but a different kind —a kind that I had not had to deal with for many months now.

I clutched my neck, biting my tongue. _The Curse Mark is acting up. the seal must be weak._

Giving myself a good shake, I let out an unsteady breath.

The pain receded and I was able to continue on.

I sprinted through the fog, completely focused on reaching Yagura. as I burst through the fog on the other side, I saw Yagura slam his staff into the ground and a field of coral erupted from underneath Kakuzu. Kakuzu gave a strangled cry and doubled over as the coral pierced through him.

He slumped over onto his knees, struggling to stand. " _Heh_. So this is it?"

Yagura pointed his staff towards the Akatsuki member, a smirk on his face. "Not quite. We were ordered to capture you if we could, and only kill if necessary."

Kakuzu shook his head. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"Will you surrender, then?" Yagura asked. "Or do I need to kill you now?"

Kakuzu stared at Yagura with undisguised annoyance. "It seems like I have little choice if I want to live."

"Indeed," Yagura said, then slammed the butt of his staff on Kakuzu's forehead. The —miser— Akatsuki member slumped over, unconscious. That's when Yagura looked over at me, and I walked towards him, my brow furrowed.

"K—I mean, Yagura-sensei," I began hesitantly, looking over at his scratches and tattered form, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Yagura dismissed. He reached out a hand and touched the base of my neck gently. "I see the marks. Is the Curse Mark acting up again?"

I touched at the formed marks beside his fingers. "Yes. I'll have to reseal it when we get back to Konoha."

"I'll assist you, then," Yagura said, retracting his hand. "Where's Jūgo?"

"Here."

We both looked over to see a wind-blown Jūgo, smiling sheepishly. "I might have destroyed some of the forest."

Yagura waved his hand dismissively. "That's fine. It'll regrow. Go ahead and grab this one; we'll carry him back to Konohagakure now."

"What about the others? Should we offer assistance?"

"They can handle Hidan. Besides, we've received no word of requiring reinforcements," Yagura said. "Let's go."

"Understood," I said, and Jūgo bent down and slung Kakuzu over his shoulder.

"Okay," Jūgo said.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

After we dropped off Kakuzu at the T&I center, Yagura and I bode Jūgo goodbye —as he was needed for further testing— and headed out.

"Let's seal your mark back up, then we'll grab some lunch," Yagura said, leading us through the streets.

"Ah. mn. Okay."

Yagura stopped short, causing me to stop as well and almost bump into him. He turned around to face me, his expression unreadable due to his mask. He placed a hand on top of my head and tilted my head back so I was forced to look at where his eyes would be. "Stop worrying. Your sister is fine. Have a little faith in her, Nao-chan."

I blushed brightly. "I-It's not that I don't have faith i-in her, I just."

"Mm-hmm," Yagura said, his tone disbelieving. I buried my face in my hands and shook my head.

"I _do_ have faith in big sis."

"Then don't worry," Yagura said, abruptly taking back his hand and turning away. "Keep up, dove."

I peeked out of my fingers, watching Yagura deftly maneuver through the crowd, feeling my stomach churn pleasantly.

I then gave a small sigh, tucking my hands behind me and following after him.

 _It doesn't do me any good to dwell on the what ifs,_ I thought, watching Yagura head onwards.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Yagura took off his mask and set it beside him. I wiped the towel across my brow, still panting heavily. I always disliked the re-sealing process required for the Curse Mark. Like Jiraiya had said, all those years ago, each re-sealing of the Mark required a more complex seal than the last. And all cases were long, tedious, and painful.

Not that I was unfamiliar with pain by this point.

Giving a sigh, I laid back on the wooden walkway, my legs dangling over the side. Yagura was on my right, and a plate of onigiri and tea sat in between us. Momma had made us some snacks to hold us over before dinner was ready. The sealing process had taken longer than we would have thought and we missed lunch.

Yagura looked over at me before his eyes trailed down to my half of onigiri.

"Go ahead," I sighed.

Yagura didn't hesitate to start eating my onigiri. "I had almost forgotten how out of it you get after the sealing."

Shrugging, I rolled over on my side to face him. "What do you think is going to happen next, Sensei? Do you think Tsunade-sama will send us to start tracking down Akatsuki members?"

Yagura shook his head. "I doubt it. We don't know where they are exactly, as they keep moving, but."

"Tobi, Kisame, Pein, Konan, and Zetsu," I said, counting off the remaining members on my fingers. "Five down. Five to go."

"Assuming none of them have faked their death," Yagura muttered darkly.

I smiled at him. " _Yes_. There's that. Though, that'd be a bit. _troublesome_ , wouldn't it?"

Yagura glared at me. "Don't you start with that."

I giggled, sitting up and yawning.

Yagura's gaze softened. "You should go lay down. I know you aren't going to have an appetite for dinner, if the last sealing is anything to go by."

Wincing, I shook my head. "Sis would be worried if I didn't show up for dinner."

"At least take a nap, then. We still have some time before dinner —lay down on the couch or something."

"I'm fine," I insisted.

Yagura rolled his eyes and leaned over to me. He pulled off his scarf and folded it into a neat stack before setting it behind me. He then placed a hand on my forehead and pushed me down, so my head rested on his scarf. "Sleep. That's an order. You're good to no one if you're too exhausted to do anything."

Fidgeting nervously, I said, "But—"

"Your sister would agree with me," Yagura said firmly. "Now go to _sleep_."

"Yes."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Laughter woke me up. I opened my eyes blearily, feeling more tired than I was when I originally went to sleep. I was on the couch in the living room, and my head was in someone's lap. Upon opening my eyes and staring up, I found Ino's face looking down on me. She beamed at me.

"Glad to see you're up now," Ino said brightly. I sat up sharply, my cheeks warmed with embarrassment.

"S-Sorry," I apologized, sitting up straight.

"Yo, Nao-chan," Naruto said brightly, beaming at me.

"H-Hi," I said, bowing my head. Looking back up, I saw the entire team was there, including Itachi, Papa, and Momma. "Sorry, everyone."

"No need to apologize," Naruto hummed, waving his hand. "Besides, _you're_ the one that missed dinner."

I gave a small smile. "Oh? That's okay. I'll eat a big breakfast in the morning, then."

Ino swatted me on the shoulder. "You will _not_. Here, I saved you some dinner —it's in the fridge, so I'll go get it. Honestly, Nao-chan, you should know better."

Yagura reached over and rapped me on the head with his staff. "Listen to your sister, Nao-chan. A kunoichi needs her food. For every meal you skip is an extra hour of warm-ups during our training regime."

I paled. "Y-Yessir."

While Ino went to grab my food, Momma moved to sit on the couch with me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. Kakashi looked up from his book. "Now that everyone's awake, though, I should inform you that we have another mission tomorrow."

Shikamaru sighed. " _Really?_ Troublesome."

"Tomorrow morning, Tsunade-sama wants the entire team, except Sasuke and Nao, to report to her office at nine, sharp."

Sasuke and I both frowned.

"Why not us?" Sasuke asked curiously. Kakashi gave a short shrug.

"Not sure. Maybe she's sending you two on a different mission."

Sasuke and I exchanged glances, neither of us certain what that meant for us.

"Here," Ino said, placing a plate of food in my lap. "I expect _all_ of it eaten. Get to it, young lady."

"Yes, yes."

"Speaking of young. when are you and Sasuke planning on taking the Chūnin Exams?" Yagura asked slyly, looking over at Naruto. Naruto flushed and Sasuke scoffed. Due to the fact that both of them had been on a training leave, neither were able to attend the tournament. I, on the other hand, was able to attend it with Ino and Chōji and obtain the Chūnin rank with Yagura's help.

Papa smirked. "There's a tournament being held in Sand in a couple months. Maybe you should go there. It's not even team-required. You can solo it."

"That'd be interesting to see," Kakashi said, chuckling.

Naruto huffed. "Fine. We'll take it then —and I'll get that stupid rank easy-peezy. I'll be so good, they'll end up giving me the _Jōnin_ rank in the same day!"

Sasuke hit Naruto over the head. "Don't be delusionally narcissistic."

"Oh, that's rich, coming from you," Naruto sneered.

"I said _delusionally_. I'm justifiably narcissistic," Sasuke said reasonably.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Sasuke and I stood side by side, our backs straight, and dressed out in our uniforms. It was noon, and the two of us had already eaten lunch.

"Sasuke, Nao," Tsunade-sama said, leaning forward on her desk. Her hands were clasped together and she rested her chin on them. "There is a reason why I did not allow you two to go on this next mission. With Jūgo's information, along with our own gathered data, we were able to find some very interesting facts regarding Orochimaru. Roughly three years ago, he attempted to place the Curse Mark on you, Sasuke, and kidnapped you, Nao. This was because he desired to use either of you in his jutsu in his vain attempt towards immortality. However, at the end of each of those three years, Orochimaru becomes unbearably weak.

"To avoid his enemies, he hides out in his, at the moment, most secured location. Jūgo knew that location, as he has stayed there many times before. The team was sent to that location this morning in hopes of finally eliminating Orochimaru with Jiraiya-sama leading."

"J-Jiraiya-sama?" I echoed, my eyes widening.

"Yes," Tsunade said, her eyes closing. "We can't take any more chances with Orochimaru. It's time he was finished off. You two weren't allowed to go with them because we feared that if you were there, and in the worst case scenario, he was able to capture you."

"We would become a liability," Sasuke said flatly.

Tsunade nodded. "Besides, I have a different mission for the two of you. Something I am certain that you, Sasuke, would be particularly interested in."

Sasuke blinked at that. "What do you have in mind, Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade took a deep breath. "Uchiha Itachi has been diagnosed with a very rare, and in most cases, fatal illness. I found this out yesterday during his medical examination."

Sasuke and I both sucked in a sharp breath. My heart constricted.

_Poor Sasuke. I can't imagine. if Ino ever. I don't think._

"It _is_ , however, curable," Tsunade said pointedly. "The downside is, though, that I don't have all the ingredients as some of them are even rarer than the illness. This is your mission —find these materials."

" us?" I asked hesitantly.

Tsunade nodded. "Nao, you will be leading this mission. I will need these ingredients by the end of this month, at the latest. But, the sooner, the better."

"We won't fail," Sasuke said quietly.

Tsunade smiled. "I'm sure you won't. You are dismissed."

As Sasuke and I both left Tsunade's office, we exchanged glances.

"Pack then leave?" I offered.

"Pack then leave," Sasuke said.

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude - Nao's POV - 12**

The following week, I returned to the grave and cleaned it off. Again, as I sat down, I had the oddest sensation of someone watching me, but dismissed it as quickly. It had to have been my imagination —no one came to the Uchiha graveyard anymore.

"Hello, again, Obito-ue," I said gently. I placed a bouquet of bluebells at his grave. "Not much has happened since the last time I came. Although."

I leaned forward and dropped my voice into a whisper, "Sis is trying to convince me to take the Chūnin Exams with her. They're being held in Mist this time, so. I dunno. I don't really want to because of Yagura."

I trailed off, my brow furrowing.

"Obito-ue, I haven't heard the voices in a while," I said softly. "But I know I'll need to re-seal my Curse Mark soon. I'll have to do it before the exams, while I'm still in a safe environment. A-Ah, and Yagura-sensei gave me a summoning contract —the butterflies. I'll be contacting them the first time tonight. Wish me luck, ne?"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** What's the most popular pairing you ship? And what's the most uncommon pairing you ship?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	37. Arc XV - Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stunning artwork by Lammington on deviantART.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

**Interlude - Omniscient - 13**

He watched them.

They were talking in excited whispers —well, the older one was excited, while the younger was less assured. Their heads were bowed together, though, and they were both still smiling. He leaned in the doorway, his arms folded across his chest as he watched them.

It was another long day for him. It wasn't an easy thing, dealing with all the screams, pleas, and crying. It especially wasn't easy to watch it all through the enemy's perspective. But it was for the good of the village. It was for the good of _them_. His precious little girls. And it was much easier to numb the emotions at work today than it was a decade ago. Time and practice really did assist with all kinds of wounds.

He was tired when he left the office but, as always, his mood and energy returned when he came home.

"What are you girls talking about?" he asked. He knew, of course, but it would be rude to _only_ eavesdrop.

Ino looked up, her pale blue eyes sparkling. "I'm trying to convince Nao to take the Chūnin Exams with Chōji and me."

Nao shook her head. "I dunno. Sasuke and Naruto might not be too happy with me if I did that."

"Too bad," Ino retorted. "Come on, please? We _need_ a third member for our team and you're the only one we trust with this!"

Inoichi's lips twitched in amusement at Ino's pleading tone. Nao looked uncomfortable and Inoichi knew she would give into her sister's wishes. He moved to stand in front of them before he sat on the couch, right in between them. Ino huffed in annoyance and Nao merely moved to make room. He put his arms on the back of the couch, leaned back and closed his eyes. The girls didn't wait long before they ignored him, going back to their discussion.

He listened to their squabble for a while longer before he pleasantly slipped off into the sweet state of oblivion.

When he awoke, the smells of dinner told him his wife had come home earlier, and the blanket wrapped around him and his two daughters told him they had fallen asleep, too, before his wife returned.

Inoichi stared at their sleeping forms, smiling softly. He wrapped his arms around both of them, brushing back a few strands of blonde hair. Ino was leaning heavily on his shoulder and Nao had curled up at his side.

"They've both been so busy with training," Inoichi heard a soft voice whisper. He looked up to find his wife leaning in the doorway, smiling warmly. "I'm surprised they didn't crash sooner."

Inoichi did not verbally respond, but he did look up at the ceiling.

He thought of his tiring day and his two daughters.

 _Sometimes I wish they never had to train_.

. . .

. .

.

It was idyllic. Our. 'mission'. It had been a very long time since Sasuke and I had been together exclusively, outside of a mission or otherwise. It was nice to be able to talk over pointless things with him, simply enjoying his presence. I was worried about the others, of course, and I understood why Tsunade had sent us away, but it was nice that I was not alone in that regard. Of course, Sasuke did not verbally express his worry, or outwardly show it much, but after being with him for so many years, I could read between the lines.

It probably did not help that this mission was only happening because his brother was teetering on the edge of life and death. Despite that, though, I couldn't help but be a little glad that he was here with me; that I was not the only one left behind.

Tsunade had given detailed instructions on where all the ingredients were and after about a week of hunting them down, we were nearly finished and about to return to Konoha. We only had a single ingredient left and it was in our home land, thankfully.

Sasuke and I sat across each other from the fire. We were in our own territory once again, so we could afford such luxury. Besides, we were both more than a little tired of rations and wanted some actual fresh food. We had gone hunting a little while ago and were now enjoying our fresh kills.

I chewed on the rabbit in silence, watching the flames flicker and the smoke rise in an almost hypnotic fashion. It reminded me of halcyon —of happier, more peaceful times in my childhood. How often had Papa held a bonfire with us while Momma made so many delights and treats for us? How many times did my big sister squeal with delight and dance around like an idiot, uncaring of our opinions? How habitually had I sat down and watched, so caught up in the warm atmosphere created?

I was becoming nostalgic, looking at those flames.

Uncertain what really brought this on, I looked back up at Sasuke to inquire who would take the first watch when—

_They're all going to die._

I flinched, as if struck, but the harsh giggling voice in my head continued to speak.

 _You know that, don't you? They're all going to die and you'll be all alone. All alone, alone, alone, and the darkness will creep in. Seeping into your lungs and_ burning _because you can't—_

There was a rushing sound in my head, like waves crashing against the sand.

— _breathe and it's so_ painful _being battered around like a ragdoll, isn't it? How many times did you_ hit your head against your own boat _before you finally passed out? One—_

The back of my head stung and I reflexively grabbed it; it felt like a battering ram had slammed into me.

"Nao?" Sasuke asked sharply, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me. My ears were ringing and my sight was starting to double because it felt like I was being slammed into _again_.

_Two—_

There was a third one, but this time, I heard a sickening crunch and I was _flung backwards_. I gasped and clutched my forehead, dizzy and nauseous. Sasuke was at my side in an instant, his eyes alert and darting around.

_Three—_

_(STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!_ )

A new voice —no, not new. I've heard _that_ voice many times, but usually when I heard it, it followed blank spaces in my mind. Memories that I repressed. Occasionally, I heard it insert a couple words, but it was normally so quiet.

Sasuke's fingers were on my neck, and with his other hand, he gently brushed back the hair. His eyes were fixated on my neck.

The giggling voices had gone quiet.

Blinking rapidly, I waited until the spots cleared away from my vision before I retracted the hand that was gripping my forehead. My eyes widened.

It was covered in blood.

"Nao," Sasuke repeated, looking up at my bloody hand. "Nao, what the _fuck_ happened?"

Sasuke, who was normally so calm and scarcely cursed, was pale and anxious.

" _Why_ ," Sasuke demanded, " _is your Curse Mark acting up?_ "

What?

"What?" I echoed, looking at him as if he were insane. "That's impossible. I sealed it a little while ago."

"It was activated. like at the Preliminary Exams," Sasuke argued. "Next thing I know, you're knocked right off your seat and bleeding. Are you _seriously_ telling me that you don't have a _clue_ what's going on?" My mouth opened and closed. It opened again. and closed again.

Sasuke glowered at me. "You do. Nao, _tell me_."

"I..." I trailed off, shifting nervously. "It's just... you can't... you can't tell anyone, Sasuke. _Promise_."

Sasuke pursed his lips.

"Sasuke, _please_ ," I pleaded. " between friends —not. not between a shinobi and kunoichi, but. b-but as two childhood friends."

Sasuke let out a slow breath. "Fine. I promise."

I sat up, and reached for my pack. Sasuke grabbed it before I could and he pulled out a scroll labeled _First Aid_. Within seconds, he had my forehead bandaged and the blood wiped away. I tucked my legs underneath me and sat up straight, looking down at the hands in my lap. Sasuke sat cross-legged in front of me, his eyes narrowed.

"I've. been hearing voices," I finally admitted.

His eyes widened.

"I've _always_ heard them," I quickly said. "And. and I think I know why. I can't. I can't explain it, but. I've got these _memories_ inside of me, you see. Memories that I. I suppressed. I used an old Yamanaka technique that is used more often on PTSD victims and veterans, than on. children. I don't remember why I did it, but I know I did it for a good reason. And I know that I don't want them. Some of the. risks. in using such a technique involve the memories taking on a persona or personification. In most cases, it's harmless and can easily be ignored.

I took a steadying breath. "In some cases, though. it can develop as a dual personality or into paranoid schizophrenia. I originally had a. more well-behaved voice that I could easily ignore. Lately, though. there's. another one. Well. Other _ones_ , but they act as one."

Sasuke stared at me. "Why didn't you mention this earlier?'

"Because it would entail undoing the block," I sighed. "And. And it would mostly likely mean that Ino or Papa would have to see the memories I locked away and I. I very much do not want that."

"Why?" Sasuke asked incredulously.

"I don't know. I have a very sick feeling about it."

Sasuke sighed, rubbing his forehead as if he were in the midst of a migraine. "You were hearing voices. while your Curse Mark was activated. No matter how you spin it, _that's not good_."

I shifted nervously. "I know."

"You _need_ help."

I fell quiet, contemplating this.

"You cannot _seriously_ think you don't. Nao, _you hurt yourself_. Somehow, in some way, those voices caused your body to actually damage itself. What if they take control? What if the next time they hurt you, it's not so easily treatable? What if it's not treatable at all?"

_What if you die?_

That was Sasuke's unsaid question. It was a legitimate question. I knew the voices were not. good. but I did not think they would be so. self-destructive. They could only be personas of myself, right? So did that mean, in some far off corner of my subconscious, I felt the need to die?

_(You always felt like you belonged on that stone)_

I bit my bottom lip. "I need time to think about this. I. I want to see if I can fix it on my own."

"If you could, wouldn't you have done so already?" Sasuke retorted.

I shrugged. "It wasn't as urgent as it is now. I will have to. reevaluate the risks I previously decided were too much."

"Risks? What are you talking about?"

"There _is_ another way to deal with this," I said softly, hesitantly. "Although I cannot use the majority of Yamanaka Techniques, not _all_ of them are kekkai genkai. There are some that are merely zealously guarded —how else would I have been able to thoroughly repress my memories? There is a technique. that. allows the user to travel to their subconscious. I could. potentially. confront whatever persona has developed there."

"Risks?"

"I could lose and they would have complete control over me," I said.

Sasuke stared at me. "That's a _big_ risk."

I shook my head. "Not anymore. I _have_ to do this."

"You don't _have_ to do anything," Sasuke argued. "Let's finish this mission, go back to Konoha, and we'll talk to your father. There _has_ to be a better way."

"Maybe," I allowed, "but no other _right_ way."

Sasuke glowered. "Nao—"

I interrupted him, reaching over and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Sasuke, _please_. Trust me. I'm not. I'm not a helpless little girl. You have to let me do this."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed again. "I don't _have_ to let you do anything. Nao, I'm not arguing this with you."

"You're going to have to," I said, "because I'm _not_ going back to Konoha until this is resolved. They already took control over me once; I don't want them doing that when I'm near those I love so dearly. Surely, you understand that much, Sasuke. What would _you_ do in my place?"

Sasuke snorted. "That's different. I can take care of m—"

"Yourself?" I finished. "I know you can, _but so can I._ "

Sasuke shook his head. "You may _think_ you can, but you _can't_ , Nao. You're easily fatigued, you're still so hesitant and shy, you—"

"—are a kunoichi. I'm a kunoichi, Sasuke," I said firmly. "You can't forget that. I'm a _Jounin_. You can't forget that, either. I'm _not_ weak. Maybe. maybe when I compare myself to you or Naruto, I am. But that doesn't mean I'm a _weak_ person. This isn't even a test of my physical capabilities —this is a test of my _will_ , Sasuke. Do you think I have a weak _will_?"

Sasuke fell silent, brooding. After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, he finally bit out, "No. I do not think that. That doesn't mean—"

"It _does_ mean that, though," I insisted. "Sasuke, _let me do this._ "

Sasuke abruptly looked away, folding his arms across his chest in the process. "Fine. _Fine_."

I sighed with relief, but my stomach still churned with nerves. "Okay. I'll perform the technique tomorrow. I'd like to get some rest and get a bit further into our land. When I use the technique, I'll be in a self-induced coma. I won't wake up until it's resolved. and it would be best if you did not move me. From what I understand, it could cause a rippling effect if I move."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. That's what the scroll said."

Sasuke looked down. "Do you know what you're up against —do you _actually_ know what you'll be facing?"

I considered this.

"No. I don't know."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

We chose a field to stop in. The sun was high above us, giving a mostly clear blue sky.

It was oddly familiar, that place. I couldn't place my finger on it, but I had the feeling that I wanted to say _Katsu_.

"Okay," I said, sitting down in the grass. "Please take care of me."

Sasuke sighed. "I will."

I closed my eyes.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Blackness.

I was floating in blackness. It wasn't oppressive or scary. it was. I knew where I was —I was in my mind, far behind the walls. I reached out a hand in the blackness, watching my fingers stretch out.

 _Better test it out,_ I thought, the sound echoing around me, _before I pursue_ them.

With a heartbeat of brief concentration, a butterfly appeared before me. Shiori. Yet, it wasn't Shiori. a figment of my imagination. The Shiori-look-alike fluttered around me and landed on my nose. I could feel her and it tickled. She dissolved away at my will.

_I can feel things in here, and conjure them at will. Hopefully this will make my confrontation with them easier._

(It won't.)

My eyes widened and I whirled around.

In front of me there was a girl, who was not old enough to be called a woman, but not young enough to really be called a girl. She had a mess of dark dirty blond hair and sharp, dark blue eyes. She was in a swimsuit that had many tears through it, and her eyes were dark.

"You're the voice," I said.

(The one you hear the most, at least.)

She tilted her head, smiling. But, the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She held out a hand to me. (Come. I will take you to her.)

"Her? Don't you mean _them_?"

(No. her.)

Hesitating a moment, I reached out my hand and grasped hers. She tugged on me gently and started guiding me through the blackness. I stared at her, feeling the strongest sense of familiarity. I wanted to ask her who she was — _what_ she was, but I already knew that. I didn't remember it.

I didn't want to remember it.

(She manifested because of the mark.)

"What do you mean?" I enquired.

(You were never meant to receive it, you know. But, you did, and I suppose it's for the best. When I. you. when _you_ repressed the memories, you created a failsafe. Whenever a key event was near, you were supposed to remember enough to change it. It wasn't. isn't. perfect because you could only remember _during_ the event. It was supposed to give you a week or so warning, depending on it.)

My eyes widened at her words. "What? Why doesn't it work?"

(I wasn't skilled enough to make it perfect. That kind of control over one's own mind is. very difficult. It's amazing it even works _at all,_ even if in a deformed and painful way. I was supposed to wake up whenever it worked, you know. I'm asleep most of the time, but when you remember, I wake up. And not correctly, either. I've gotten better, though. We don't merge anymore.)

"Merge? _What_?"

She looked back at me, impatience crossing her face. (Surely you remember _some_ of the second part of the Exams. That panic, those _feelings_. You were me and I was you, then. That's what happens when you remember.)

I stared in disbelief at her. "Are you. are you saying _you're the memories I repressed?_ "

(Yes.)

"But. but. you're. you're clearly conscious. That. shouldn't be possible," I spluttered. "The memories should be behind some form of gate, or in a cage. Not. not an actual _person_ who can reason and _talk to me_."

She lifted her bony shoulders in a shrug, dropping them lazily. (I wanted a life of ignorance, but I couldn't ignore the responsibility. In order to achieve that ignorance, I had to take away all memories that would obligate you. However, I couldn't ignore them. And if I pushed the memories on you, like what's _been_ happening, I thought it would be too overwhelming. So thus. I kept this life and put it to sleep. I was supposed to wake up, with the memories, with some time before each event to plan for them. When the event passed, you would forget me, along with the memories. That was the intention, at least. But, it went wrong, as you can see. I wake up at random times, and at times _of_ the key events, and at times of great distress.)

I swallowed roughly. "You said. _kept this life_."

She stopped, dropping my hand, and turning to face me. (We're here.)

For a moment, I did not understand what she was saying —we seemed to be nowhere— but then I saw it. Or rather, it appeared. It was a door, of sorts. an ordinary door one might use to enter a bathroom or bedroom. The only extraordinary thing about it were the chains wrapped around it.

(She will arrive shortly.)

"What did you mean. what did you mean by _kept this life_?" I asked, dreading the answer.

She glanced at me, staring blankly at me with dead eyes.

And she was gone.

I don't know how long I stood in front of that door, waiting. It seemed endless, but I knew that couldn't be the case. I wasn't sure what to expect when _she_ showed up, but I thought I was prepared for whatever she would throw. I only had to bind her —I knew the handseals. It would be a testament of will, because once the binding began, it would be a tug-of-war. If she won, _I_ would be sealed away into the farthest corners of my mind, forever asleep. If I won, however, _she_ would be bound for the rest of my life.

 _You showed up_.

I straightened my back, my eyes snapping around in the darkness. There was a blur that appeared by the door, a sort of blob. It did not take a specific shape, but it kept giggling in that odd voice of it's.

"You know why," I said, fighting back the nerves that started to creep up on me.

 _Of course I do,_ it sneered, then erupted into another fit of giggles. _Why do you want to be so me-ean about this? Don't you want these memories?_

(She was not meant to have those memories!)

My head snapped around, and the one from before was standing there, but she was different. More pale and she held bags under her eyes.

The blur shifted and transformed into a type of glowing white orb, and flew towards the girl. It circled her, and the giggles slowly died down. When the voices spoke again, they held an irritated edge to it.

 _Suppressing me means suppressing_ you!

(Not necessarily.)

Suddenly, the door rattled, like a harsh force had pounded on it. The orb started glowing more brightly, the voices becoming more drawn-out —like a hiss. _Don't tell me_ you _want to forget! Have you already forgotten?!_

She stumbled back, as if suddenly pushed, and watched in horror as her appearance changed. Blood soaked her swimsuit and a part of her head was caved in — _isn't that the same spot where I was hit in the forehead—_ completely crushing her eye. Both of her eyes were missing, empty sockets, and her nose looked like it had been chewed off. Her lips were purple and blue and her skin took on a ghastly appearance.

(That's not funny.)

_But it's no less true!_

She turned her head towards me and I took a step back, my heart pounding. "Wh-What happened to you?"

(That's not important. Hurry up and bind her!)

The orb shook and transformed into a little boy with dirty blond hair. He looked up at me with hazel eyes, pleading with me. He ran to me, grasping my hand, and squeezing it. He was pleading. "You wouldn't really do that to me? Big sister, you wouldn't _really_ hurt me, would you?"

I snapped back my hand, stepping warily away. "I'm not your sister. I don't even know you."

(Don't use Jaymie!) She shrieked, and the door rumbled again.

The boy —Jaymie? Why was that name familiar?— glared at her. It shifted and became a young woman with long, pretty hair. "Dear, you wouldn't hurt your own mother, would you?"

"You are _not_ my mother," I snarled. "Enough with your games. I'm ending this!" My hands snapped together and the woman was gone, replaced with a mirror image of the girl. The creature hissed at me. _You don't understand! I'm_ helping _you. I_ helped _you with Danzo, didn't I? You would have lost if it wasn't for me!_

My hands continued to form the seals without hesitation. "You also tried to _kill_ me."

_I was showing you what you already know!_

The seals were complete. "I won't take the risk of you hurting my family!" All at once, I felt this _pressure_ inside of me. It was gripping my heart, squeezing and pounding and I gasped. A chain erupted from me and wrapped around the blur, glowing an icy blue. There was a shriek of anger, piercing my ears, and causing a ringing sound.

 _You don't understand! You don't understand! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!_ The world of blackness faded away and we stood above a storming sea. A boat was being tossed around in the waves. There was a roaring sound and red and white lights—

There was a tug on my heart, and I snapped my attention back and focused on the blackness. The ocean was gone and I gripped the chain and started to pull. The blackness warped again, and we were in some sort of living room, laughter filling the area. The girl was smiling on the couch, the boy from before asleep in her lap. The woman and a nameless man were talking in quiet whispers.

"Stop trying to distract me, it's not going to work," I said, steadily changing it back to blank blackness.

The environment wanted to change again — _it_ wanted to change it, but I was firm.

Physically, I was nowhere close to Sasuke, or Naruto, or Yagura. But mentally, I could hold my own. Naruto's determination had _nothing_ on mine.

It screamed, pulling and yanking and pleading. It tried to shift the environment, to show me _things_ , but I wasn't the only one who wanted the blackness. She, who still wore the body of a mangled corpse, was beside me. Her wrinkled fingers gripped my shoulders and I could feel _her_ determination beside me.

But, it would not be an easy fight.

Because.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

_the world rippled_

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

She, who held on to me, suddenly screamed in pain and I was screaming with her. _It_ was screaming more loudly and our world shook and trembled.

Everything was shattering, falling apart and breaking. Like a rock being thrown into a glassy pool of water. Everything was wrong.

Wrong.

Wrong.

 _Wrong_.

The blackness engulfed me —us?— and I couldn't _breathe_ because there was _something inside of me_. It was stuffed down my throat and I couldn't _see_ at all because my eyes wouldn't open. There was a pressure on me and I fought it. I screamed, the sound gurgled and strangled.

And suddenly, I was free, and I ripped it out of me, throwing the tubes away. I writhed and screamed again, tears pouring from my eyes — _Wait, why both? Why can I see with both my eyes?—_ and I gagged and retched.

People came into the room, white-robed men and women and some with scrubs of green and pink. I screamed and struggled to keep away from them, but my muscles were weak. " _Hanarete! Hanarete!_ " **(1)**

"Calm down," one of the doctors —doctors? What are those? Didn't I mean medical-nin? Wait, what were they saying? Why did I understand them?!— said, raising his hands in a calming gesture.

" _Hanarate!_ " I screamed, thrashing and pulling more of the needles and tubes out of me. " _Sawaranaide! Sawaranaide!_ Sasuke! _Doko ni imasu ka?!_ " **(2)**

"Knock her out —she's delusional," the nurse said.

There was a prick and then I felt sluggish.

I was out like a light.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I opened my eyes to a bright light.

"Sissy?"

The voice was scared, rough. I turned my head and saw the boy —but he was bigger, older— that _it_ had changed into from before. He was leaning towards me, his eyes wide and pleading. "Sissy, are you? Do you know who?"

He was crying, then, and then I noticed the woman behind him. She was crying, too, but she was smiling. There was man with dark hair, on the other side of the boy. His hand was on top of my head. "Sweetheart, you're okay now. You're in the hospital. You're safe now. You. You were in a coma for six years. "

My bottom lip trembled.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude - Nao's POV - 13**

I looked up at the full moon, the wind gently rushing by me. It was a clear night, not a cloud in sight. If I turned around, I could see the light of the village. I could see people bustling in the streets, and the warmth of the ties between the villagers. But tonight, I did not want the village.

I was drawn to the sky.

So I sat on the roof of my house and stared up.

I was alone for the night. The others were busy with work or missions. Well, mostly alone.

Shiori fluttered around me. When she floated above me, the moonlight caught her wings in a pretty light and made her wings glow softly. Tiny snow dust fell softly around with each flap of her wings, melting and evaporating before it even reached me. I held up my hand and she rested on my finger.

"How is the Kaleidoscope?" I asked quietly.

(Paper)

 _~Fine, Nao-sama,~_ Shiori answered. She rested her wings and I brought her closer to my face. Her antena reached out and tickled my cheek in an affectionate gesture. _~Your blood has been very useful. Soon, the Kaleidoscope shall be remade to fit your needs.~_

Smiling warmly, I used my other hand to pull off my goggles from the top of my head. I laid down on the roof, my knees pulled up. I offered Shiori a spot on top of my knees and she gracefully took it, readjusting herself and settling down. With both my hands, I lifted the goggles up to the sky, covering the moon with them.

"I can't explain it," I murmured, finally resting the goggles on my belly and spreading my arms out around me, "but I can't take my eyes off the moon tonight."

(Stars)

My eyes shifted over to the stars, and my interest in the moon was gone.

"They should be made of paper," I whispered, staring in a transfixed motion to the stars.

_~What do you mean, Nao-sama?~_

There was something on the tip of my tongue. It rested there, at the edge. It teetered and tottered and danced and bowed, but refused to jump over.

Several minutes passed before I finally said, in a soft, quiet, childish voice, "It's so easy to forget yourself in this business of paper stars."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(1) Stay away! Stay away!**
> 
> **Answer:** NaruHina for most pop, NE x Forsaken for uncommon. :'( Or MadaHina.
> 
>  **Question:** If you had all the time in the world, what is something you would like to do with that time?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	38. Arc XV - Shame

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Interlude - Omniscient - 14**

Chōji munched on some chips as he followed behind Asuma. Ino and Nao were behind him, along with Kurenai's team. The two teams were on their way to the Mist Chūnin Exams. Nao seemed particularly nervous about the ordeal, which Chōji could understand. It was a nerve-wracking thing. It was one thing to take lethal exams in your home village, but quite another to do so in foreign territory. And while Mist had extended a peaceful invitation to _all_ the villages, it was still scary.

Although when Chōji later asked Nao what made this exam so nerve-wracking, she said it wasn't the exam at all, but rather the place.

He could understand that. Mist didn't earn the title _The Bloody Mist_ by picking daisies, did they?

Ino chattered happily to Hinata and her sister, exaggerating some of the gossip she had picked up in Konoha. Hinata politely listened, smiling encouragingly, while Nao nodded her head and fluttered around.

The journey to Mist was long and relatively uneventful. When they reached the village, a couple of Mist Jōnin greeted them, having them sign some paperwork before they escorted them to their hotels.

The teams bunked together, as protocol. Asuma was outside of their room, on the rooftop, taking a smoke, while Chōji, Ino, and Nao huddled around each other on the floor.

"Tomorrow begins the exams," Chōji commented.

Ino's eyes took a spark to them. "I can't _wait_ to show off what I've learned since the last exam! This time we aren't the rookies!"

"Actually, we still are," Nao pointed out tentatively. "Us and Hinata-chan's teams are the youngest."

Ino rolled her eyes. "But we aren't _rookies_. We've got experience now! We're _so_ going to dominate this exam —hey, do you know if Tenten's team is going to come?"

Nao nodded her head. "Tenten said they were going to be in this exam, but they might be late."

"So long as they make it on time," Ino said, shrugging.

"We should probably get some sleep —big day tomorrow," Chōji said.

"You're right," Nao agreed.

. . .

. .

.

I stared at. at the body I was in.

The girl in the mirror stared back at me.

She was taller. She was wispy and bony and looked sick. Her hair was long, and wild. Her nose was sharper than my own, but her mouth was fuller and her cheeks rosier. Everything about her seemed sharp. From her eyes, to her nails, to the way she moved in abrupt, jerkish movements. Like she had forgotten how to move smoothly. Like she had forgotten how to use her own body.

 _This can't be real,_ I thought numbly, poking at the cheek. The girl in the mirror mimicked my actions.

"Sis?"

I did not turn around to the teenaged boy who was staring at me with a worried expression. He refused to leave the room, even after I had screamed for all of them to leave me be. The adults had left, promising to get me real food, but the boy remained. persistent.

"Sissy?"

I glanced over my shoulder at him, finally meeting his flinching gaze with my own. "Get out."

He looked stricken. "Sissy, I—"

"This isn't real," I snapped, anger rushing to me. "This is a side-effect to the jutsu I used. _You are not real_."

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm real, I—"

I ripped my IV out, not even flinching at the sharp pain. I knew that genjutsu was cast in the subconscious, so I knew causing pain wouldn't release me from it. I couldn't even find my chakra! It was going to be tricky getting out of here, but.

"What are you doing?!" he demanded, rushing to my side. "Stop! You need those. Please, sissy."

When he came too close, my hand snapped out and dug into his diaphragm. He had a couple seconds of looking shocked and hurt, before he started gagging and choking. I stared at him as he sunk to the floor, annoyance churning in me.

 _This isn't real,_ I told myself. _Maybe I need to defeat my captors somehow?_

I looked around the room, then moved towards the drawers. There were syringes inside, and I pulled out the needles. I held them in my hands, clumsily and awkwardly. This body that I was using was weak, horrendously so.

 _After all, if I was a_ real _coma patient, I shouldn't even be able to walk on my own —my muscles would be too weak,_ I thought darkly. _Which means I have_ some _control over this world. Makes sense, as it's in my own subconscious, but._

I gripped the needles, suddenly feeling a rush of strength.

With my newfound strength, I began to meticulously eliminate those in the hospital.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When I finished, my world went black.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

And I woke up, with a tube down my throat, and I gagged.

My eyes were wide and I struggled in the bed, finally managing to rip the tube out as doctors rushed in. "She's awake!"

"I killed you," I said, staring at one of the nameless doctors who rushed to me.

"Someone get her parents! Hello, do you know who you are? Do you know where you are?"

I stared dumbly at the doctor as he continued to drill me with questions and perform all sorts of tests.

_I'm back where I woke up._

_Maybe I can't kill them? Maybe I have to kill myself?_

When the doctor relaxed, my hand snapped out to his pen and I hesitated.

 _Even in an illusion, I don't particularly relish the idea of killing myself,_ I thought. _But. the fact that this happened in the first place means I moved. Which means something happened and I_ need _to get out of here._

I jabbed the pen into my throat.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

My world went black.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

And again, I woke up with a tube down my throat.

I tried destroying the hospital. I tried escaping the hospital and running (but the roads were endless). I tried focusing on a way out, channeling all of my energy to breaking the illusion. I tried offing myself in different ways, starting to get desperate, that maybe I had to do it _right_. I tried killing _them_ in different ways, _also_ starting to think that I had to get it _right_.

Nothing seemed to work.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When I woke up in the hospital room for the —how many times had it been? I lost count.— whatever time, I did not react immediately. I stared up the ceiling with blank eyes.

_Maybe I'm going at this wrong. Maybe it's not something I can force?_

_I need to know_ why _this is the genjutsu in the first place. Why am I here, waking up to these strangers_ _and not somewhere else? This is my mind —some buried part of it, maybe, but it's still_ my mind _. There has to be a_ reason _for this._

 _If I can figure_ that _out. maybe I can find out how to get out of here._

_But. how can I find out?_

I laid in my bed, considering this.

_The body I'm in now. it looks an awful lot like that girl from before. The nice one. So maybe. Well, I know she's a part of me. I know she's the personification of the memories I locked away. Could this world. this genjutsu. be a result of those memories? Am I reliving a part of her life or?_

_If that's the case, then maybe I'm supposed to play along. Act like her._

_But how would I act like her? I hardly know her. I know. I know that she seemed attached to that boy from before. That. Jaymie. She was furious when that creature turned into him. So. so it could be argued that maybe she's like that with all she cares about? Maybe those two adults from before. her mother and father?_

_So do I need to try and. and act like her? Pretend to love these fake people?_

_It's not like I have any other plan._

With a plan in mind, I began to make a ruckus, informing them that I was awake.

_Let's get this over with._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When the doctors were done with me, the woman and man and the boy entered the room. Each of them were staring at me with wide, watery eyes. I sat up in the bed, plastering on a hesitant smile. "Hi."

The boy —Jaymie?— ran to me and tackled me onto the bed. The moment his arms wrapped around me, this warm fluttering feeling washed over me. My arms reflexively wrapped around him and I started squeezing him tightly.

All at once, my chest started to hurt, like an icicle was being jammed straight into me. My eyes were starting to blur and I could feel the two other adults come towards me and hold me close.

We stayed like that, silent except for the sniffles and hiccups.

When they were done with me, and my eyes didn't sting so much, they began to tell me all sorts of information. They mostly talked about home, and school, and quite a few people whose names I didn't recognize. I sat through it all, smiling and nodding my head at some parts. I didn't prompt any more conversations, or ask any questions, and they didn't seem to think this was out of the ordinary.

"..so now Roslinde is going to CU," the woman —I found out her name was Lisa. Lisa smiled warmly at me, gripping my hands tightly in her own.

"Don't worry about college, though, sweetheart," the man, Jacob, said firmly. "Right now, you focus on getting better."

"I'll do my best," I said, my voice coming out scratchy.

They all smiled at me, and again, I felt that pain in my chest.

_Why am I feeling this? These people mean nothing to me._

A nurse appeared at the door, her head peeking in as she gave us all a soft smile. "I'm sorry, Mr and Mrs—"

The world rippled, and everything went black and white for a split second. My eyes widened.

"—Yamanaka, but visiting hours are over," the nurse chirped, as the world returned to color.

But this time, it wasn't Lisa, Jacob, or Jaymie who sat at my bedside. It was Ino, Papa, and Momma. They started to get up, and I watched in confusion as they left, each turning to bade me goodbye before leaving.

My brow furrowed in confusion and I looked out the window to watch the sunset, but found instead of a warm pink-purple sky, it was a pale tale-green. My eyes widened and I climbed out of the bed, moving to the window.

I opened the window and leaned out—

The world rippled again, and this time I was standing on a grassy cliff, overlooking Konoha.

 _What the_ fuck _is going on?_

Two arms wrapped around me from behind and I barely suppressed my squeal of surprise. A chin rested at the top of my head and a body was pressed against mine. My cheeks warmed.

"It's a pretty view," Yagura commented, hugging me.

"Why are you here?" I whispered.

"Haven't you figured it out?" Yagura asked, seeming amused. "This world is your subconscious. It's only giving you what you _want_."

"I didn't want those people, though."

"You did. Or, well, _she_ did. She wanted to see them. To hear them. To hold them. For a while, you and she were the same, but you saw that first ripple, didn't you? You two separated, then. And now you are in your own little version —at least a portion of it."

"We separated? How?"

Yagura cupped my head and tilted my head to look up at him, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Does it matter?"

"Yes. It means she was able to control the genjutsu long enough to make a significant change. If I knew how to do that, I may be able to break out of here."

"Do you _want_ to do that?" Yagura asked dubiously, stepping back and away from me.

I blinked in surprise at his question. "What do you mean—"

The world rippled and I stumbled. My eyes widened when I found myself staring down at a body that was _not_ mine. A mirror appeared to my left and I found myself staring at a much older version of me, Yagura beside me. Both of my eyes were unscarred and working.

"Why do you wanna leave?" Ino asked beside me, appearing to my left. She hooked her arm through mine and smiled at me. "This is your dream world, isn't it? Why do you want to leave?"

I shifted uncomfortably. "It's not real. It's an illusion —a lie. Besides, I'm needed out there. Something happened to cause this —Sasuke needs me."

"Who cares about Sasuke?" Yagura retorted. "Don't you want to stay here —with me?"

"You're not real," I argued, suddenly feeling anxious. "I'm not. We're not."

"Are you _ashamed_ of me?" Yagura asked suddenly, his tone mocking.

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"Are you _ashamed of the thought of us_?"

"I'm not ashamed about that at all!"

"Then why haven't you told me?" Ino asked. "I'm your _sister_. I thought you told me everything."

I shook my head. "Because it's not. we aren't. "

"and you don't want me to think poorly of you for it," Ino finished, "because you're _ashamed_."

I shook my head again, pursing my lips. "You guys are figments of my imagination, which means you _know_ how I feel. It's pointless to argue this with you. I need to focus on getting out of here."

Kakashi grabbed my hand. "Why don't you want to stay?"

I turned around to where he had appeared, tugging my hand free. "I already told you! I'm needed elsewhere. I have to go."

"But you don't have to die here."

"Die? I'm not _dying_ ," I sighed, my stomach churning. I was anxious. This place seemed. wrong, somehow. At the hospital, it was alien and unfamiliar, but at the same time, comforting. I knew, now, why that was. The girl from before desperately craved that place, and it was _her_ dream place. This place was supposed to be _my_ dream place, but yet it wasn't. There was something fundamentally _wrong_ about this place and Kakashi's words about me dying.

I stilled.

_The girl from before and I were one. Does that mean it's possible that the orb. the voices. the bad thing inside of me. are we one, too? Is it influencing this place?_

_Well. only one way to find out. If this place really is my dream come true. then I should have control, over it, shouldn't I?_

I willed for everyone to disappear.

The world rippled, and my surroundings and everyone dissolved away into blackness.

Then there was a snap, and everything was back.

"Figured it out, then?" Kakashi asked, cocking his head. Naruto and Sasuke flanked him. " as well. I was _hoping_ to have you stay here, and then I wouldn't have to deal with you, but."

"You're the one keeping me in this genjutsu, now, aren't you?" I asked. "That first ripple would have set me free, but _you_ took control, didn't you?"

"That annoying girl separated all of us and disrupted the genjutsu," Yagura muttered.

"You aren't going to win this," I said, my hands raising into the first sign. "If I finish what I started, if I seal you, this genjutsu will be over."

Naruto snarled at me. "Why do you want to do this? I'm _helping_ you! You won't die this way!"

"I'm not going to die anytime soon," I muttered.

Ino glowered at me. "You don't know that, do you? If you die, _I_ die —we all die. Don't be so selfish!"

"You were the one trying to kill me earlier," I snorted.

"I was having fun! I would never _kill_ you," Sasuke insisted.

"Stop talking through my friends," I snapped, moving into the next sign. "It doesn't matter what you say now. You can't know the future —you can't know _my_ future, at least, so stop. I get that I wasn't always Nao. I get that I knew some things. I get that it was too painful to know, but guess what? _I don't care_. This. this is _my_ life and yeah. yeah. I've made some mistakes and yeah it's going to get hard, but that's okay.

"I'm not alone in this. I have a loving family. I have amazing friends. And I have the _best_ sensei anyone could ask for," I finished, raising my chin up defiantly. "And right now, one of my best friends needs me, so I can assure you this —there is _nothing_ you can say or do that's going to stop me from helping him!"

The world rippled, turning into complete and utter darkness. A mirror image of myself, drained of all color, floated before me, glaring at me. "I can't stop you from sealing me, but I _can_ stop you from killing us. Shut up, and listen. _Get out of the village._ Pein will come —it's almost time. When Jiraiya leaves the village, he won't be returning and that's when you need to leave. He'll come after Naruto, Yagura, and you."

"What?"

"Naruto and Yagura because they're jinchuuriki, and you because you stupidly talked to Obito," the reflection snapped. Then it smiled and started to giggle. "Good thing I interrupted your sessions before you _really_ blabbed about the important things!"

"Obito-ue? What does Obito-ue have to do with this? Those times at the grave. those eyes. were they not my imagination?"

It giggled more loudly, seeming to find great amusement from my questions. "You're so stupid! He knows you know something and he's afraid you know _too much_. You do, but yet you don't! Isn't it ironic? When Pein comes, _he'll come, too_. So you better hide or else you'll give away secrets that'll kill everyone you love."

I hesitated before I moved to the next sign to seal it. "What do you mean? Hide from Obito?"

"Obito, Tobi, Madara, whatever," It dismissed. " _hide_."

My brow furrowed. "But if the village needs me—"

"The village will be fine in the end if Naruto goes to train," It snorted, crossing its arms across its chest. "You can't let anyone know where you're going —or you can go to the place where _no one_ will find you."

A chill ran down my spine. "How can I trust you?"

"You already do, at least with this information," It cooed. "You _know_ I'm not lying —and _she_ would be telling you to do the same. When you see the orange-masked man, don't hesitate to hide, _little girl_. Protect your village from Pein all you want — stay away from Tobi. When he sees that you're out of his reach, he'll leave."

My hands formed into the next sign. "Why are you telling me this? Why are you helping me?"

"Because it's my instinct," It answered honestly. "I was born to keep you alive. That Mark festered and fed upon those locked up memories until I was born. The Mark's most basic instinct is self-preservation." It cocked its head curiously. "You have only yourself to blame for my creation, you know. If you hadn't run away from your memories, or if you hadn't stupidly jumped in front of Sasuke, I wouldn't even be needed."

"The Curse Mark created you. that explains your sadistic-ness," I muttered dryly. "No wonder you acted so erratically —you're insane. A literal personification of my repressed memories, given life from the energies of the Curse Mark. How can I trust any words that you're saying?"

It smiled at me. "You don't have a choice in the matter. Besides, when he comes for you, you'll see for yourself. Oh. when the war comes. it'd probably be best if you stayed close to Naruto and Bee. _Don't_ stay at the Headquarters, no matter what you do."

My eyes narrowed and I moved my hands into the final seal.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I opened my eyes, gasping.

"Are you okay?"

My eyes snapped over to Sasuke's voice. He was crouching beside me, his shirt torn to shreds and the rest of him was a little tattered.

"What happened?" I demanded.

Sasuke sat back tiredly, rubbing his forehead. "Akatsuki member Deidara happened."

I looked around the area, not finding any struggle.

"He blew himself up," Sasuke said dryly. "I remembered yours and Yagura's report on him. I figured if I pissed him off enough, he'd _actually_ blow himself up. Was easier than I thought it would be —he really doesn't like Uchihas— and as he was moving, I grabbed you and reverse summoned us."

"Where are we?"

There was a sharp caw above us, and Sasuke gave a wry smile. "We had teleported to Taron, and Katame flew us back to our country. We're still many kilometers away from home, but."

I looked up at the big, brown hawk that circled above us. "Thank you, Katame-san."

He gave another caw before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"When he grabbed you before the reverse summon, he grabbed a bit too hard," Sasuke said, looking down pointedly at my shoulder. About that time did I notice that it was actually _burning_. I looked over at it and found my shirt was actually torn, revealing a half-stitched wound. "I'd been stitching up what I could. Not really an expert on it, but."

"It'll do. Thanks," I said, pointedly looking away from the disgusting wound.

Sasuke gave a dark smile. "It'll have to, won't it? When I'm done, let's head home."

"Sounds wonderful," I said, smiling.

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude - Nao's POV - 14**

I gently scrubbed away the dirt that had gathered on Obito's grave. The bluebells I had brought were already placed properly and I had swept away the leaves that had fallen around his grave. All that was left was to clean away the dirt and grime that had gathered since my last visit.

"I got a letter from Naruto and Sasuke today," I told Obito. "They're both doing well. So far, the Akatsuki haven't found them, which is good. I'll be leaving Konoha next week. I know, I know, I got back from the Chūnin Exams, but."

I gave a helpless shrug. "Sensei wants us to start training. We won't stay out of the village for long, and we won't be leaving the country. I should be back within a month or so."

Carefully withdrawing the washcloth, I dipped it back into the warm water and started on a new spot.

A chill ran down my spine, and this time I focused my chakra.

I couldn't sense any other chakra near me, nor could I hear anyone. Yet I could _not_ shake the feeling that someone was watching me.

"Kakashi told me you loved Rin," I said, deciding to dismiss my worries. No enemies could enter the village this far in. The only enemies inside the village were ROOT and Danzo, but neither had any reason to eavesdrop on me _here_ , and the words I spoke were undoubtedly nothing new to them. It would be a waste of their time.

Logically, there should have been no reason for my discomfort.

Yet. yet I felt as though the eyes sharpened.

"He showed me a couple pictures of her," I went on, "she's very pretty. He said she was very nice and wanted to be a medical-nin. I'm sorry for what happened to her, but at least you two can be together now, right?"

Dipping the washcloth back in the water, I wringed it and set it down. I wiped my hands on my shorts, drying them, and I thoughtfully eyed his grave.

"Kakashi said you never told her how you felt —he said he never understood why you didn't tell her," I whispered, dropping my voice. "But I get it. You aren't alone, Obito-ue."

Standing up, I stretched and picked up the washbucket, smiling. "I hope you're happy wherever you are, Obito-ue. And now that I know about Rin, I'll start taking care of her grave for you, okay?"

As I walked away, I could have sworn the eyes softened.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** If you had only a handful of minutes left, what would you do in those minutes? What would be the very last thing you would do?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	39. Arc XVI - Itachi

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _  
_

**Interlude - Omniscient - 15**

Obito watched her pull out her Chūnin flak and present it to his grave. He listened patiently as she retold the events of the exam and she began to clean his grave. It had gotten a little muddy since she had left, and a few weeds had started to grow. She worked with meticulous hands.

He shifted his posture a bit. He was getting a little tired of sitting on the tree branch, but he didn't dare leave yet.

Part of him wondered why he hadn't taken her away, yet. She was there - _alone_ and vulnerable.

What stopped him?

He wasn't entirely certain.

All he knew was that he routinely returned to his and Rin's graves, and he listened to her stories. He inwardly snickered when she retold some of her more ridiculous ones, and he often found himself nodding his head in understanding when she told her romantic plights, and her failures.

His interest was always piqued when she talked about the voices in her head - how she knew things she should not know. Obito was worried that she would uncover too much, but he knew that if _she knew,_ she would not be at his grave.

For the moment, she wasn't a true danger to his plans, and Obito told himself that _that_ was why he did not bother himself with kidnapping her.

It wasn't at all because she reminded him of another girl that died far too soon.

He told himself that.

But he knew he was lying.

. . .

. .

.

"So Deidara's gone now?" Tsunade enquired.

Sasuke gave a firm nod. "I'm certain of it."

Tsunade sighed and leaned back in her chair, Shizune glancing over at her. "The others are already back. They returned about a week ago."

We both tensed.

"They're alive," Tsunade reassured us, "but it was a difficult battle. A few still remain in the hospital, and one of them, Chōji, is still in intensive care due to his exertion. He'll be fine, I expect, but he'll be out of commission for a while."

Tsunade looked at the storage scroll we had given her with the ingredients. "I'll get started on Itachi's medicine right away. You two are dismissed for now - go and see your friends."

Without another word, we left.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I gave Yagura a worried look and he continued to glower at me. "Would you _stop_ fussing? I'm _fine_. The _only_ reason I'm still in here is because the idiot got a lucky shot, now _stop it_."

"Oh would you calm down?" Ino asked, rolling her eyes. "She's worried. Honestly, you should be grateful my adorable sister is waiting on you!"

Yagura's glower took a colder turn when he turned his attention to Ino. Naruto snickered and munched on an apple. Naruto commented, "You're a lot nicer today."

"Was he not nice before?" I questioned.

"He was such an ass on the mission," Ino complained. Naruto nodded his head wholeheartedly.

"He was a complete jerk," Naruto confided to me. "Wait, why am I eating an apple?"

Ino gave him a deadpanned look. "Do you honestly not remember grabbing it from Chōji's basket because he couldn't eat anymore?"

Naruto whined. "I'm so used to his baskets having all the good stuff in them, I didn't even notice I grabbed the healthy crap."

"Idiot," Yagura muttered petulantly.

"Sensei," I admonished.

Yagura turned his nose up and stubbornly looked away, his cheeks slightly rosier. I shook my head, sighing ruefully and looking back over at my two other friends in the room. Sasuke had requested (well, implied, I should say) some privacy with his older brother, so I had opted to visit Yagura and Ino instead. The two were placed in the same room due to lack of room at the hospital. Yagura had sustained some heavy (heavy for a jinchuuriki) injuries, but was nearly ready to be discharged. Ino was sporting a broken wrist and a couple burns, but she was going to be discharged that day.

Naruto and Kakashi came back with the least amount of injuries - Naruto had a couple bruises and scratches, while Kakashi was verging on chakra exhaustion (surprise, surprise). The rest still suffered injuries, but were discharged before Sasuke and I returned. Juugo remained at T&I for the moment, but I had a feeling that after this mission's success, he wouldn't be regarded with such suspicion.

Naruto hummed. "I wonder what we're going to do next. We took care of Orochimaru (unsurprisingly, considering how badass we are), but now what?"

"Well, Jiraiya already left to gather more information on the Akatsuki," Yagura said, "so I suppose our next goal is to eliminate the Akatsuki. There's. Kisame, their leader and his partner and Tobi left, along with Zetsu. We don't have a lot of information in regards to their leader, though. He should be back in a couple weeks."

Naruto frowned. "That damn Pervy-Sage! He told me I had to do more training - I didn't know he was _leaving_. Good thing I already got Kakashi-sensei to help. Sasuke'll probably train with us."

Ino shrugged. "Well, I'm actually scheduled to leave with my team after I'm discharged today. I'll train when I get back, I suppose."

Yagura sighed. "After I'm discharged from the hospital, I'm supposed to oversee Naruto's training because Yamato will be busy with a different mission."

"That's okay, sensei," I assured him. "I wanted to try a bit of individual training - but I am certain I could still train with Naruto and Sasuke if necessary."

Naruto gave me a bright grin. "Hell yeah you can."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I left the room about an hour after Naruto had left. Shikamaru and Chōji arrived to keep them company. Satisfied everyone would be alright without me, I exited the rooms and went to check on Itachi and Sasuke.

I entered Itachi's hospital room, creaking the door open slowly and peering in. Itachi was in his hospital bed, sitting up and reading an unidentifiable book. I didn't see Sasuke, so I opened the door more fully and stepped inside. "Hello."

Itachi looked up at my greeting, offering a polite, small smile. "Hello."

"Has Sasuke already left?"

Itachi dipped his head. "He has. Naruto came to retrieve him - the two said they would begin training."

Closing the door behind me, I moved to sit beside Itachi's bed, offering him a smile. "That's good. I. I actually was hoping to get a chance to talk to you."

Itachi gently closed his book and placed it on his nightstand. He folded his hands together and his obsidian eyes met my own. "Yes, Nao?"

Taking a deep breath, I exhaled slowly.

I then explained what had transpired over the mission, and more importantly, what had gone on in my head.

Itachi took it in stride, not questioning or stopping me. When I was finished, he sat back and contemplated the information. " Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you know what it's like to be different," I said quietly. "And you know, more than anyone, what it means to carry your own burden. Sasuke won't press the issue, because that's not like him, so I know the issue will die with him. However. I am. concerned for the future. I know that I sealed _it_ away, along with the majority of the memories, but."

I lifted my shoulders in a helpless shrug. "I still. _feel_. like something is going to happen. Something _big_. I don't want to worry anyone else over this, and I know with you, I can trust you not to tell anyone. I just. In case I can't. In case the seal doesn't hold, or I can't fend _it_ off anymore. I thought _someone_ should know."

"Do you feel like the seal will not hold?"

"I feel like it will hold," I admitted, "but I don't want to take the chance and not prepare myself for in case it doesn't."

Itachi's eyes moved away from me and his gaze turned to outside the window. "Do you remember when we first met?"

I blushed. "Yes. I broke down sobbing."

Itachi nodded his head, still not looking at me. "You said - you told me - that it was because _I could not_. I was terrified at the time that you knew _exactly_ what was going on. I had followed you for several days after that, but found nothing to prove my fear. Ever still, I kept a close eye on you. Again, you knew something you should not when Kisame and I entered the village. You saved your sensei from an unsavory fate, and prevented Kisame and I from even encountering Naruto.

"It is a curious thing, I believe, that these are _memories_. Or at least, proclaimed memories. The girl you saw - the one who held the memories, or was a personification of them, was someone you had never met before, correct?"

At my nod, Itachi continued, "Curious, isn't it? The word _memories_ implies experience - that who you saw had already lived these events. You said she was you, or at least who you used to be, correct? That implies reincarnation. But, you don't recognize her - for someone to be this intimate with this knowledge, they would _have_ to experience i first hand. But you don't recognize them - so it's no one we know, yet they still experienced it."

Itachi's brow furrowed. "Or perhaps that's what your ability wants you to think. You know the future - or at least, you can access it in some manner - but your mind cannot fully comprehend it. Perhaps it translates it as memories and only triggers can unlock it. Your ability is confusing, Nao."

I giggled. "Yeah. I try not to think too much about it, to be honest."

Itachi's lips twitched in amusement. "I suppose it doesn't matter too much _how_ it works, so long as it does. It's a shame you can't control it, though, as that would be very useful in times like these."

I nodded. "Ever since the confrontation, it's been really quiet in my head."

I paused, realizing what I had said.

"But that's probably how it's supposed to be, huh?" I mused.

"Probably," Itachi agreed, his eyes dancing with amusement for a moment before he grew somber again. "Should you lose control of the seal - what would you want me to do?"

"Stop me," I answered simply. "I suppose if it's possible, use your own kekkai genkai to enter my mind and reset the seal. I am. afraid. of allowing any of the others inside of my mind. You already know what to expect."

Itachi gave a slow nod. "Should you lose control of the seal, and it is in my capabilities, I will do what I can to reseal it."

"Thank you," I answered.

Itachi awarded me with another smile, turning back to face me. "It was because of your interference with Yagura, and your intervention at Danzo's trial, that I am here today. It seems to be the least I can do, Nao."

Blushing, I averted my gaze. "How long will you be staying in the hospital?"

"Several weeks. I am confined to the bed for another week or so, though. Tsunade-sama is anxious for me to return to health. I am lucky to have her as my medic."

"She's an amazing medic," I agreed. "She stopped my eye from hurting anymore, did you know?"

"Really?" Itachi asked.

I nodded my head. "She couldn't fix it, but it doesn't hurt anymore since she looked at it."

"That's wonderful."

I beamed. "It is. Hey. it's getting close to dinner. Can I get you anything?"

Itachi blinked in surprise. "Are you sure you - ?"

"I know Sasuke and Naruto," I said, standing up. "Both are going to get awfully competitive with each other for training and I doubt they'll pay much attention to anything _but_ training and each other. _Someone_ has to keep you company."

Itachi's lips twitched into a smile. "Aren't you going to train?"

"Yes, not like they are. It's time I furthered my fuinjutsu training in preparation for the next sealing."

"Next sealing?"

I stretched out my neck and pointed to my Curse Mark. "I need to keep improving my fuinjutsu ability, or else I won't be able to reseal the Mark next time it decides to spark up."

Itachi's dark eyes took a more thoughtful note to them. " When I am. well. Nao, I wish to exam the Curse Mark myself."

"Sure," I said, frowning, uncertain what he would want to see it for. " Anyway, so I'll grab some dinner for us. Any requests?"

Itachi shook his head. "Anything is better than hospital food."

I giggled. "I can agree to that."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I kissed Papa on the cheek. "Not staying long, Papa. I wanted to grab my fuinjutsu notebook."

Papa barely looked up from his cooking, giving a hum of acknowledgement. "Alright."

"How's Juugo?"

"Well. He's going through psychiatric help at the moment. His loyalty seems sincere, but given his split personality, it was decided to keep him at T&I a bit longer."

"Is his state treatable?"

"I believe so, yes," Papa said, looking up from his mincing. "He's not the first of his kind we have met, you know. At this stage, I doubt it's curable, but I believe with the right care and treatment. and with time. he will be able to control himself."

"That's wonderful!"

Papa nodded his head, looking back down. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"No, I'm going to eat with Itachi."

"Not Yagura?"

I snorted at Papa's hopeful tone. "Yagura-sensei is being discharged today and will be overseeing Naruto and Sasuke's training. I'm not training with them, so no, Papa. Not with Yagura-sensei."

"You aren't training with them?" Papa asked, surprise coloring his voice.

"They'll be training physically. I need to train mentally for now and improve upon my fuinjutsu - you know why - and I'd like to be able to keep Itachi company. He's been through a lot, Papa, and I'm afraid if _someone_ doesn't, he may become detached."

Papa stopped cooking and looked at me, his eyes dancing with fond amusement. "Look at my little therapist."

I flushed. "It's basic knowledge. Given the traumatic events he's been through. it would be wise if someone kept in touch with him. Sasuke would be ideal, but I know how he gets with training. I don't want Itachi to get into the habit of keeping things to himself - of being alone. He doesn't deserve that."

"It takes more than being there to prevent that - you have to open up to him, _trust_ him before he trusts you," Papa said.

"I know, Papa. I've already made my first gesture, now I need to keep up with it," I said, smiling.

"Good girl," Papa said. "Here - seeing how I made too much for me, why don't you take enough for you and Itachi to eat?"

"Thank you, Papa!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A couple weeks passed. I did my daily routine of physical training in the morning until a couple hours before noon. I then grabbed brunch for myself and Itachi before visiting him and spending the rest of the day with him. I visited Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi and Yagura several times to see what progress they had made.

Naruto was perfecting his Rasenshuriken and Sasuke was perfecting his Kirin. A couple days before. before _the news._ I had run into Sasuke on my way to see Itachi. Sasuke usually visited Itachi in the mornings, along with Naruto. He told me that he was leaving on a mission.

"A mission?" I had asked.

Sasuke had given me a small shrug. "Yamato was sent out a while ago, along with a couple other Jounin to inspect some of Orochimaru's old hideouts from Juugo's information. I'm heading out with a couple others to be their back-up. I should be back within the week."

"Be safe."

Aside from that, things moved on without incident.

That was. until. the news arrived.

The news about Jiraiya's death, that was.

I was peeling the skin off an apple for Itachi for our brunch. I had brought him several books at his request, and they stacked up on his nightstands. Itachi sat up straight in his bed, his hospital window open and the curtains blowing gently in the breeze.

"There you are," I said, presenting Itachi with the sliced apple pieces. I had placed them in a small plastic container and offered them to him. Itachi smiled briefly at me, taking and eyeing them.

"I'm starting my last rounds of heavy medication," Itachi commented.

"Ah, that's right, Tsunade-sama still has you on the powerful stuff to help repair the damage done to your body," I said. "How's your eyesight?"

Itachi's smiled again, as brief. I felt a bit proud of myself that he _did_ smile again. Itachi was a man of few expressions and of few words, so I always felt a bit better when I saw that he used them around me. "Much better. I would have assumed the damage irreversible, but I was lucky. The damage was caused by my chakra pathways, and not my actual nervous system - like yours. The chakra system is more forgiving in that regard, I suppose."

"I'm glad for you," I said honestly.

Itachi nodded. "The medication I'm on now, however, is risky. It overexerts my body when I use chakra at all."

I nodded my head. "I remember Tsunade-sama mentioning something like that. Thankfully, though, you don't need to worry about that now."

"Yes. After I finish another week of this, I'll be able to switch over to the lighter drugs and I can be sent out on missions again."

My brow furrowed. "I hope you aren't sending yourself out _too_ soon, Itachi."

Itachi did not respond, and we lapsed into comfortable silence. I finished preparing his bento before I presented it to him and I opened up my own.

Before I could dig in, however, the door to the hospital room opened and Yagura stepped inside. His gaze was dark and the atmosphere he carried was somber. "Nao. Tsunade-hime has summoned you. Now."

Itachi and I exchanged glances before I placed my food down in my seat and followed after Yagura.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Curiosity begged my tongue to speak, but remembering my manners, I kept my silence. There were toad summons outside of the Hokage office, and another, much older, toad in Tsunade's office. Tsunade sat at her desk, her hands folded in front of her. There wasn't a trace of lightness about her - and the atmosphere was nearly suffocating.

I stood close to Yagura, shifting nervously. Naruto and Kakashi were the last ones to enter the room. Naruto closed the door behind him and looked around at everyone in surprise.

"He is Jiraiya-chan's student?" the older toad asked, his voice rumbling.

"Yes, this is Naruto," Tsunade said.

Naruto eyed the frog with open skepticism. "An old frog? What the hell?"

"Watch your mouth, Naruto," Tsunade scolded. "This is Fukasaku-sama, one of the two Great Sages of Mount Myoboku. He came all the way here to speak with you."

"Well, to be more accurate, I am a Great Sage _Toad_ , but nevermind with that. You are, without a doubt, Jiraiya-chan's student."

"Jiraiya- _chan_? _Chan?!_ You talk as if the Pervy-Sage is a kid! Who do you think you are?"

"I said to watch your mouth!"

"Fukasaku-sama is the one who taught the arts of a Sage to Jiraiya-sama. He is Jiraiya-sama's master," Shizune said.

Naruto's eyes widened while Fukasaku laughed. "Pervy-Sage, eh? What a fitting nickname for Jiraiya-chan."

"So what do you want with me?" Naruto asked.

At that, the toad stopped laughing and he looked down, his eyes closed. "I'm not sure where to begin. but I suppose the most important thing is. Jiraiya-chan died in battle."

I stumbled back and Yagura's hands grasped my shoulders. My eyes widened and they flew to Naruto's shellshocked face. "Huh?"

"I know this is sudden and I don't blame you if you don't believe me," Fukasaku said gently. "For quite some time there were rumors that the leader of the Akatsuki was in Amegakure. Jiraiya-chan went in person to verify the truth of these rumors. Jiraiya-chan came upon the leader of the Akatsuki. Pein. However, Pein was Jiraiya-chan's former student. Jiraiya-chan called him Nagato."

"That name goes far back," Tsunade murmured, "during the chaos of the Great Shinobi War. Jiraiya looked after some orphans in Amegakure, which had become a battlefield. Who would have imagined that those kids."

"But to corner a shinobi like Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi trailed off.

"We knew the Akatsuki were formidable from the start," Yagura said. "Each in a class of their own. It would make sense that their leader is the strongest. But. if _he's_ this strong. then how strong is _Tobi_ \- the one who is truly pulling the strings? Or _Madara_?"

"He possessed the Rinnegan," Fukasaku said.

Gasps were heard around the room.

"The. Sage of Six Paths' eyes?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes. and. there were six of them."

"How is that possible?" Kakashi demanded.

"There has to be a trick to it," Fukasaku said. "I believe Jiraiya-chan discovered this trick, but his throat was crushed before he could tell me."

Fukasaku turned his back to us, before he pulled off his cloak. There were numbers engraved onto his back. "He wrote this - his dying message."

"It's a code. I'm sure he did this so Pein would not know what he said."

Tsunade eyed the code another moment before she said, "If we decode this, we'll understand Jiraiya's last words."

"Did you let him go. Granny? Did you let him go to investigate the _Akatsuki leader_ alone?"

Tsunade averted her gaze from Naruto's glare. " That's right."

"Why'd you allow such a reckless thing?" Naruto demanded, his voice growing louder and louder with each word. "You knew Pervy-Sage better than anyone. How could you send him to such a dangerous place, alone?!"

"Enough, Naruto," Kakashi said. "You, of all people, ought to know how Tsunade-sama's feeling."

Naruto's hands clenched into fists and he stubbornly looked away. He turned his back to Tsunade and began towards the door. "Damn it."

"Naruto," I said, pulling away from Yagura and reaching out a hand to my dear friend.

With a hand on the door, Naruto paused. "If Pervy-Sage had been Hokage, he wouldn't have let _you_ take such risks. Never!"

"Naruto," I said, as he slammed the door shut. I started to follow him, when Yagura grabbed my hand.

I looked back at him. Yagura shook his head. "Leave him be, Nao."

My hands curled into fists.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I gave Naruto about a couple of hours before I hunted him down.

He was walking around Konoha with his hands shoved in his pockets. I caught up to him, and he didn't seem to notice me for a while.I walked beside him, uncertain of what I could do or say to ease his pain. Instead, I opted to stay close to him, brushing up against him a couple times to remind him that I was here, and that I would not be leaving him any time soon.

When he realized I was there, he gave me a dead-eyed look that reminded me of Sasuke on That Night.

It was the kind of look that tore straight through me and caused my arms to wrap around him and pull him close. I wished I had a blanket to wrap around him, and I wished I could whisk him away from this reality.

But I couldn't.

And I wouldn't.

He wouldn't want that.

We held onto each other for a while before I coaxed him into staying with me and my family for the night. Papa was better at this sort of thing - he always knew what to say and do.

Even still, Naruto remained unusually quiet throughout the meal and opted to go straight to bed afterwards.

I remembered how Sasuke had so many nightmares, and I remembered how Naruto and I used to hold onto him throughout the night. When Naruto was tucked away in the guest bed, I sat down next to him and draped a blanket over us.

"I'm here," I told him. "I promise I won't leave you."

Naruto did not respond.

I laid down and curled up, my back pressed against his.

"I never understood why Sasuke wanted revenge so bad," Naruto whispered. "But now, I think I do. I want to hurt him, Nao. I _really_ do."

"And we will, Naruto. But for now, you need sleep."

"He took Jiraiya from me."

"I know."

"It hurts."

"I know."

"Will it ever get better?"

"I hope so. Sasuke's not so angsty, is he?"

Naruto gave a strained chuckle. "He's more emo than angsty now, though. I don't want to be emo."

"You're right. You couldn't pull it off."

"What? I totally could."

I rolled over on my other side as Naruto did the same, both of us smiling weakly. "You're right. How silly of me to doubt you."

"Silly of you indeed," Naruto whispered, his smile slipping. " G'night, Nao."

"Good night, Naruto."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

When I woke up the next morning, Naruto was already gone and when I asked him where he was, Papa only said that I needed to give him some space now.

I didn't like it - really, _really_ didn't like it, but Papa knew best.

With little else to do, I went back to visit Itachi and inform him of what had happened.

Within the next two days, I would find out that he and Yagura left for Sage training. Yagura went with him to help keep the Kyuubi under control and offer some advice should the Kyuubi interfere with the training.

And not long after they left. did Pein come.

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude - Nao's POV - 15**

I winced as Tenten gave me another demonic grin. "M-Maybe it's time for a break."

Tenten shook her head firmly, her grin widening. "You _know_ that 'cause you can only use one eye, you have to work twice as hard to stay in shape. Now shut up, blindfold yourself and be prepared to dodge my kunai!"

"One eye is not the same as being blind!" I objected.

"You're right," Tenten agreed. "But you have to rely on your sixth sense and your instincts a lot more with one eye. There are parts of your vision you can't normally use - you _are_ blind in a sense. Besides, Gai-sensei did this to me and I turned out fine!"

"You were in the hospital for a week!"

"Because I wasn't used to being even _partially_ blind," Tenten dismissed. "Now shut up and put the blindfold on."

Grimacing, I tied the blindfold over my eyes. " Do I really have to do this?"

"Yes."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I glared at Tenten, as I laid in the hospital bed. She gave me a sheepish look. "At least you didn't break any bones like I did?"

" _Never_ again," I grouched.

"NAO-SAN! MY ETERNAL RIVAL!"

"You told Lee I was here?!" I demanded, my only visible eye widening.

Tenten shrugged. "With Neji gone for so long, he needed a little pick-me-up. Besides, you're the one who started it when you impersonated Kakashi during the Chūnin Exams and told him you were his rival."

"Only because I didn't want to hurt his feelings," I objected.

"Either way," Tenten hummed, exiting the room as Lee burst in.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** Favorite restaurant?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	40. Arc XVI - Obito

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **_  
_ **

**Interlude - Omniscient - 16**

Ino watched her sister, fast asleep in her lap. Her fingers reached out and she brushed back strands of hair that fell over her face. Her fingers lingered a moment or two longer than necessary on her baby sister's ruined eye.

"You really love her," Shikamaru said. He and Chōji were lounging in the living room with Ino. They were waiting for Asuma to come over so they could move on to their mission, but he seemed to be taking longer than usual.

"Yes," Ino said. "More than anything else in the world."

And it was true. Ino loved her sister very much... she remembered... on that day... when she swore to herself to always protect her sister, no matter the cost.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Flashback (post Chūnin Exams, pre-time skip)**

Ino knew her sister was a very bright girl. It was something Ino was undeniably proud of and something she quite enjoyed. Her sister was always the one she could turn to if Ino ever had a problem. Ino knew she could rely on her through and through. Ino also knew that her sister was rather delicate in some manners. She learned this when it became apparent that after her Haha and Chich did not return home with her baby sister the night she was born, or the two years afterwards.

In some manners, Ino was rather paranoid when it came to her sister. For a long while, she nearly thought her sister _would_ be dead the next day. She didn't know exactly what was wrong with her at the time, only that it always put a strain on Haha whenever Ino brought it up, and Chichi got very quiet. It was why Ino always spent as much time with her sister as she could when, as if trying to soak up as much memories of her as she could before her time was up. As an effect due to her frequent visits, she found that she quite adored her sister and that her sister was _very_ smart.

Ino was thrilled when Nao was declared well enough to return home, but some parts of her were worried. Her sister was still weak, still fragile. True, she may have bested Ino in that one match, but that had _nothing_ to do with strength. That was all about technique, and it did nothing to assuage Ino's worries.

Some parts of Ino never wanted Nao to join the academy. The rest of her felt ashamed of those parts because she knew how much Nao wanted to go and she knew how much fun Nao had in the academy.

But those parts of Ino would not be ignored. If anything, they would become louder and louder. It was _her_ baby sister and already on her first mission, Nao would lose _her eye_. Followed by that, she would nearly die _again_ and Ino risked losing her sister all over again.

Ino _hated_ that.

She _hated_ being useless, she _hated_ that her baby sister was so fragile, she _hated_ that her sister would continue to put herself in danger and worse of all she _hated_ that her sister didn't seem to give a damn about her own life.

Why? _Why_ didn't Nao care enough about her own life? Why did she continue to risk herself for _them_? It wasn't fair. She was so _young_ and she just didn't deserve any of it.

Ino hated it.

She hated it very much.

She couldn't help her sister.

At least not... Not the way she wanted to.

Ino glanced at Kakashi who stood at the memorial stone with Ino. Nao was still in the hospital, refusing to leave Sasuke's bedside. Ino didn't understand why her sister felt so guilty, but she wouldn't pry.

"You have... a very intuitive little sister," Kakashi remarked.

"I know," Ino said.

"Do you know, by chance, if Jiraiya-sama talked to her earlier today? Before he left with Naruto?"

Ino felt her spine stiffen minutely. Ino may not have been a combat genius, but she was a natural when it came to reading people. Chichi had always told her that she would surpass him in that regard before she even reached seventeen. It was another of the things Ino was proud of. Her spine had stiffened when Kakashi had asked Ino that question.

The question itself would seem harmless enough, but there was something in the underlining of his tone, in the subtle stiffness in his posture. He was calculating. He was reading Ino's movements and trying his best to read _her_.

Something was off.

Something had happened.

"Why do you ask?" Ino asked slowly, keeping her tone light.

"It was just something Nao said... It got me thinking, that's all," Kakashi replied, his tone just as light.

Ino knew her sister was a bright girl. Intuitive, actually. There were times where her sister knew things that she shouldn't have known about because no one told her. They were usually small things, favorite foods, birthdays, names... Chichi and Haha never picked up on it because they didn't spend as much time with Nao like Ino had when Nao was little. Oh sure, Haha would visit her nearly every day, but those were just little visits. Chichi _would_ visit every day, but he only came to help Nao heal and acted as a sort of therapist. Neither really spent _time_ with Nao, like Ino had.

When Chichi explained Nao's mutation, Ino immediately associated Nao's second ability. Her 'intuitiveness', if you will.

It was a very dangerous ability if ever found out. Even if Konoha was Ino's home, she wasn't so blind. If Nao's ability was found out, it would be ruthlessly exploited and her sister's life would be turned into a living hell.

Ino did not like that thought. She did not like that thought at all.

So Ino had to think every quickly. It was something that happened today. Something to do with Sasuke's coma and Nao's mutterings. Ino had visited Nao at the hospital, intent on giving her sister some lunch and offering her a shoulder. Nao had hugged tightly onto Ino, muttering under her breath of how she should have thought of Sasuke instead of Naruto first. Of how Naruto at least had Jiraiya, but Sasuke had no one. When Ino did inquire (not pry or push, just inquire), Nao had said, _Because of me, because of my words and my actions, I might have ensured Naruto-kun's safety from... from the men in black cloaks, but I sentenced Sasuke-kun to this instead. I think... I think..._

Ino didn't know who the men in black cloaks were, but she could guess what had happened. And now, with Kakashi inquiring things, she had a _very_ good guess at what had happened. Nao's intuitiveness took control of her. The men in black must have been pursuing Naruto and Nao knew about it before she should have been able to. It must have been something only Jiraiya and Kakashi knew about... but yet she found out... She must have allowed, either intentionally or not, Kakashi to know that she knew in the process of 'ensuring Naruto's safety'. And now... And now Kakashi was asking questions.

Ino did not want her sister's life to be a living hell.

Ino could not protect her sister in the normal sense.

However, she could at least protect her in _this_ sense.

If Jiraiya knew about it... and Kakashi knew about it... more than likely it was Jiraiya who told Kakashi about it, and _only_ Kakashi. Or at least, that's what Ino had to assume.

"You know, actually, I think I remember Nao saying she wanted to go ahead and meet up with Jiraiya-sama earlier today... or was it yesterday? I forget," Ino laughed. "Anyway, she said that she didn't get a chance because Jiraiya-sama was talking to _you_ about something and she didn't want to interrupt. I'm sorry, I can't seem to really remember _when._ "

"She overheard it, then?" Kakashi muttered, glancing away.

Ino tilted her head. "Overheard what?"

Kakashi's stance relaxed and he gave Ino his eye-smile. "Nothing. So what did you come here for?"

"To threaten you that if you allow my baby sister to be hurt every again, I swear I will _end you,"_ Ino chirped.

Kakashi laughed. "Maa, maa, don't worry. I won't let anyone hurt Nao-chan again."

"Good."

Ino turned on her heel, heading away, pleased with herself.

She couldn't protect her sister in every way possible.

But she could ensure that at the very least, her sister's ability would not be the undoing of her.

**End Flashback**

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **  
**

"Sorry I'm late," Asuma said, grinning as he entered the room.

"Troublesome. I was hoping you actually wouldn't show up," Shikamaru grouched.

Ino glared at her teammate. "Oh, quit complaining."

. . .

. .

.

Itachi and I walked side by side outside. He had been allowed to leave the hospital for a couple hours of fresh air. It couldn't have been on a more beautiful day. The sun was bright and warm above us, and the sky was such a pretty vivid blue. He wore a simple black shirt with light grey pants and the standard shinobi shoes.

Itachi looked over at me when I spoke, "We should try to hit the tea shop soon. Trust me, you'll really like it there. Kakashi-sensei and I usually go there for breakfast after our visit at the Memorial Stone."

"Really?" Itachi inquired politely.

I smiled and nodded my head. "Yeah - we're regulars, I guess you could say. They have the _best_ dangos _ever_."

"Then I suppose I will have to try some of these best dangos ever," Itachi said, amused by my enthusiasm. I beamed at him, unbothered by his quiet amusement. I knew he probably took my ravings to be childish, but I was already too pleased that he was able to leave the hospital today to be anything less than energetic.

We turned around another corner when the first explosion was heard.

Immediately, we both tensed and turned towards the direction. I could see many Jōnin rushing towards it, and I was about to suggest a course of action, when _another_ explosion erupted - only from farther away.

"What the hell?" I asked, snapping my head around. My breath hitched when I saw a thick, spiraling plume of smoke up in the air. It was like someone had knocked the air out of me, seeing that. Every part of my senses screamed the _wrongness_ of seeing that.

Itachi's frowned, his eyes narrowing. "The village is under attack."

"... The Akatsuki?"

"It has to be," Itachi said. "They must be looking for Yagura or Naruto."

I pursed my lips, unable to draw my eyes away from the smoke. When another explosion echoed near us, I grimaced and finally looked away. A sense of dread clawed and ravaged through the pit of my stomach, all throughout my body, leaving a cold feeling in its place. "... I need to get you back to the hospital with the other patients."

"I can fight," Itachi immediately disagreed.

"You can't use your chakra," I argued. "It'll magnify the damage exponentially!"

Itachi did not verbally respond, choosing instead to find the nearest Akatsuki member. Biting back a groan of annoyance, I followed after him. We leapt up on top of the closest roof, and Itachi immediately activated his Sharingan.

However, the second he activated it, he winced.

I gave him a sharp look. "Itachi! Deactivate your Sharingan before you seriously hurt yourself."

"I'm fine," Itachi said. "I know my body's limits."

I reached out a hand to grasp his arm, and Itachi gave me what _had_ to be an annoyed look, because before I could even reach him, he dissolved away into a flock of crows.

 _He used his summons_ and _a genjutsu! Damn it, Itachi!_

Fuming, and more than a little worried, I willed myself to ignore the other explosions for the moment (it was painfully difficult - like ignoring the fact your own arm was being sawed off). I could see many Jōnin racing to them, and I trusted they could handle them. My biggest concern for the moment was the idiotic man who seemed ready to martyr himself at any moment. I concentrated on my own chakra, before I expanded my concentration to feel the other chakras near me.

 _Found you_.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"... Uchiha Itachi," the Akatsuki member said. I had to read their lips - and I could only barely do so from this distance. Itachi had appeared before an Akatsuki member with orange hair and odd eyes. It _had_ to be Pein - or at least one of them.

"Pein," Itachi said - confirming my assumption - and shifted his posture. His Sharingan's tomoe whirled in his eyes.

Speeding up, I began to sprint as fast as I could across the rooftops.

Pein changed his own stance, squarely facing Itachi.

Itachi's eyes changed - no longer were they the same as Sasuke's, but instead a new shape came to life in them. I felt his chakra fluctuate and waver, and the second his eyes finished changing, he let out a grimace. His hand flew up to cup his left eye and he stumbled back.

My foot dug into the roof and I pushed an excessive amount of chakra to give me an extra boost, before I launched myself into the air above them.

Pein saw his moment to attack Itachi - he had not seen me, yet - and he lunged towards him.

My right hand flared to life with my Tōketsu-Raiton, hardening it into a katana.

"Stay away from him!"

My Tōketsu-Raiton slammed into the ground, just as the Pein leapt backwards. The ground where it hit fractured into a small crater, a thick layer of ice covering it. I straightened up, my single eye narrowed.

Pein stepped back, eyeing me apathetically.

I moved to Itachi's side, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Itachi, please. Let me take care of this."

Itachi shook his head, still clutching his head, but deactivated his Sharingan. "... I must insist that I help you. Pein is no ordinary person, Nao."

"Nao...?" Pein said, his eyes narrowing. "I see."

Itachi straightened his back. Seeing how I wouldn't be able to _stop_ him from entering battle, I offered him a kunai from my pack. He took it with experienced hands and gripped it tightly.

Another explosion shook our world, and my heart skipped a beat. I tried my best to ignore the fires and screams that echoed around me. I knew that if I looked for too long, I would lose my composure and fall to prey emotions.

I had to remain calm in this situation. I _had_ to.

I told myself that, over and over, like a mantra. I hoped that if I thought it often enough, it would stick; and as a result the horrible sense of dread and worry for my loved ones would be easier to ignore.

"Tell me where Uzumaki Naruto is."

"Over my dead body!" I snapped.

"I cannot tell you that," Itachi said calmly.

"Very well, then. I have no use for either of you," Pein said, darting forward. My Tōketsu-Raiton came to life in both of my hands, taking the form of sai and I leapt towards him. I swung my right sai horizontally to him, and he grasped it in his left hand.

Suppressing a gasp, I watched in morbid fascination as he _sucked the jutsu dry_ and ended it.

Once my sai was gone, he grabbed hold of my hand. Itachi flickered towards us and swung his kunai with deadly percision at Pein. Pein was forced to leap back and I held my hand close to me.

Glancing at Itachi, I said, "He ended my attack."

Itachi's brow furrowed and he gave Pein a calculating look. Then his hands flew into seals and before I could stop him, he launched a Great Fireball at him. Pein merely raised his hands, and the fireball slammed into him. Within moments the fireball was completely gone - as if he had absorbed it.

Itachi frowned, and I gave him a worried look, noticing how sweat dotted his brow. "He can absorb ninjutsu."

"Then we'll have to take him with taijutsu," I said. "Stay back - "

"No, he'll obviously be well trained in taijutsu," Itachi disagreed. "You are no taijutsu master, and given my state, I am uncertain if I could take him. We have not worked together before, either, so our coordination in attacks would not be effecient enough to engage him in combat. I will cast a genjutsu and you will take him out."

"Itachi, _no_ , let _me_ \- "

"I doubt your genjutsu is strong enough to hold _him_ ," Itachi said, and his eyes were no longer a pale obsidian. Instead, they gleamed red as his Sharingan came to life. "Tsukuyomi!"  
"Don't be so reckless!"

The very same second that Itachi finished uttering his jutsu, he gasped and grabbed hold of his eyes with both hands. Pein stumbled back and biting my bottom lip hard, I darted towards Pein.

Pulling out two other kunai, I rammed each into his eyes, digging in as far as I could go until only the tips of the hilts showed.

Pein staggered back, blood oozing out of his eyes before he fell to his knees. Turning my back to him, I ran to Itachi. My hands grasped his shoulders, just as his knees gave out. I caught him and stumbled a couple steps. "Itachi?!"

"I... I am fine," Itachi managed, shaking minutely.

"You are _not_ ," I disagreed. "I need to get you to a medic... Come on..."

Itachi pulled away from me, staggering to straighten up. He pulled back his hands and I saw blood in them. Worry clawed at me, along with fear for my friend. I reached for him, uncertain of what I could do to help, but desperate to try.

Another explosion, not too far from us, stopped me, as I remembered that I didn't have the luxury to comfort him.

Unable to help myself, I glanced around at the destruction.

Goosebumps ran up and down my arms, and my stomach churned. It was sickening to see - to see my _home_ so utterly destroyed. To hear the screams and smell the corpses and burning flesh - it was horrible. It was something that made up nightmares - especially knowing the fact that _we might not win this_.

I felt so small, there, standing over the orange-haired corpse that had so easily destroyed my home. That had had a hand in taking away _Jiraiya-sama_ fro this world. I wondered if the others would okay. I prayed, to whoever would listen, that they were. I prayed that the sinking stone in my stomach was just my imagination and that it didn't mean anything else - it wasn't a premonition of their deaths.

Swallowing roughly, I turned around, preparing to leave, when suddenly I felt two _very_ familiar eyes on me.

I froze.

"Hello there!"  
My breath caught in my throat, and slowly, oh so slowly, I turned to face those eyes. Itachi tensed and immediately shoved me behind him.

 _I know those eyes. I_ know _this gaze._

A tall man with spiky black hair and a swirly orange mask was waving at me. His cloak signified he was an Akatsuki member, but that reason alone was not why chills ran up and down my spine.

Those days that I sat at that stone, I always could have _sworn_ I felt a gaze on me - that I wasn't alone. But, each time I dismissed it as my imagination - or just my mind playing tricks on me. That wouldn't be the first time, wouldn't I? I heard _voices_ , for God's sake. I had no _logical_ reason to think it was anything more than my imagination - it was preposterous!

But, the second I felt that gaze at a place where _they should not be_ ; and I saw for myself, the eyes that accompanied that gaze...

I knew.

 _I knew he had been watching me_.

So he _knew_ what I had been saying. He _knew_ about the voices; about my ability; my secrets; my thoughts; _he knew me_.

I felt naked before him, and like a doe caught in the sudden light, I stood there: frozen.

"Nice to meet ya," he said cheerfully. "I'm Tobi!"

Itachi's eyes narrowed.  
Fear and panic hit me hard so hard, I physically stumbled back. I was teetering on the edge - a feeling I remembered and knew well. Part of me was here, and part of me was not.

"I know you," I whispered.

Tobi (no, no, no, that wasn't his name) tilted his head and made a single step towards me. He bowed lowly. "And Tobi knows _you_!"

"What do you want from me?"

"Ahaha, Tobi wants little Nao-chan to come with him for a bit, okay? Tobi promises to be a good boy!"

"I don't think she's going _anywhere_ with you," Itachi said calmly.

I knew him - I _knew_ him, and this time... this time...

_... I wanted to remember._

My _home_ was destroyed - did I know it was coming? The foreboding feeling of remembrance was still strong, but at that moment, I would take any pain if it made my home safe again. If it meant Sasuke, Naruto and Yagura could return home to a _sanctum_. If it meant no more had to die anymore - I would take that burden on gladly.

If it meant his _eyes_ wouldn't feel so _dead_ and _cold_ and _sohorriblydark_ , I would happily burden myself with that knowledge. Because the person before me knew _everything_ about me, but I knew _nothing_ about him.

_I know you're awake. I know you can understand me - please... please give me the memories._

"I..." I said slowly, stalling for time, and squirming under his gaze.

For a flash, I thought I was floating in blackness and she was standing in front of me, her brow furrowed and lips tugged down; but it was only for such a brief time, I couldn't be sure.

(I would if I could - but when you sealed _it_ away... you sealed almost _all_ of it away)

_Then give me what I didn't seal away!_

(You'll only forget, and it's about the war - )

_War? What war?_

( - and when you forget, that'll be it. You can only remember one more time)

_But you know, don't you?_

I took a step backwards, tugging Itachi along with me. "Why do you want me?"

He took another step towards me.

(The seal you made to seal _it_ away will continue to seal away those it deems harmful. If I tell you, I will be deemed harmful and sealed away, and you will have no control when you will remember anymore)

I wanted to groan in frustration, but the situation at hand kept my tongue. I knew that the seal would keep away harmful personas, and if she told me something that was unpleasant, the seal would recognize her as a different persona and immediately lock her away. Even if she did not mean harm - it only saw her as a different form of my conscious.

"Tobi will happily explain why, if Nao-chan comes with him nicely," Tobi promised, extending a hand to her.

_I have to run away - I need to get to the hospital -_

(That won't work - those kinds of things won't work)

_Why? What can I do?_

(If I tell you something, you won't forget because it's not a memory, or rather, it's just a trigger. If I tell you this, it might be enough to force what you sealed away to come back to you in a more permanent manner)

_What are you saying?_

(The memories will come when you need them - they always has, haven't they? It always will. I'm not needed anymore)

I held my hands close to my chest, eyeing Tobi warily.

_Are you really wanting to do this?_

(I should have died a long time ago. This is your life - don't regret it, and don't regret mine. I am tired... and I am ready to be done with this)

I felt a pang in my chest. _This is goodbye, isn't it?_

(Yes)

I rocked to my heels, momentarily ignoring Tobi because _she_ at least deserved a proper goodbye. _Thank you for everything you have done._

(Be proud of your life... be proud... and run. Because if he catches you, that seal is worthless to his eyes)

Unconsciously, a black portal appeared behind me, and Tobi tensed. I could feel it - that coldness, that _hell._

(He's a broken man who should have died, but the pain keeps him here - he lost his precious person; his reason to be happy. He's like a lost child now, stolen away by the twisted man, so treat him as such - )

There was a growing pain in my chest, because this story was becoming more and more familiar. This was a story I had cried over before. This person - this man-child - was carrying a burden he should not have to carry.

"I can't go with you," I whispered, "I'm sorry - "

( - but be careful of - )

" - Obito."

I fell back into the portal, pulling on Itachi to follow after me.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Obito.

_Obito._

The man I _idolized_ \- who I mourned for and care for. How many times hadn I stared at his name on the stone, or cleaned his grave? How often had I whispered secrets and shared stories with him? How often did I sit at his grave, regretting the fact he died - despite me not even knowing him? He died a hero - or so I had thought.

To find out he was _alive_... and to see how horribly twisted he had become... _hurt_ me. It was _painful_ because I knew he shouldn't be like this. I _knew_ there was good in him, that he was still the same Obito that Kakashi spoke so fondly of. He shouldn't be this way, but life made him that way. I couldn't recall the exact events, but I still knew it shouldn't be like this.

He was supposed to be _here_ , with _us_. With the ones that _loved_ him.

I hugged myself tightly in the hellish place, continuing to walk forward.

What did I do with this information, anyway? I would have to tell the others, but I wasn't sure what good it would do. But, it was information to the Akatsuki and it gave us the identity of Tobi.

_It's going to kill Kakashi._

I closed my eyes, letting out a slow breath. _Maybe I can just tell Yagura and Tsunade. Maybe... no... Kakashi needs to know, doesn't he? Obito will have to be dealt with one way or another. It would hurt Kakashi more if he found out when we unmasked his corpse._

Opening my eyes, I gave a tired sigh. Suddenly, I felt much older and much more tired than when I first woke up today. My shoulders sagged and I trudged on through the thick blackness, doing my best to ignore the coldness and the sounds of crying.

_It feels, somehow, lonelier now._

_But that's just because for the first time, the only voice inside my head is my own._

What an odd feeling _that_ was. All my life, I _felt_ her in the back of my head. Perhaps I had not known, all the time, _who_ or _what_ she was, but I never felt afraid of her. I never felt worried. If anything, she was a comforting reminder; she was a consistency in my erratic life.

It felt... so... _different_... to no longer feel her presence.

It felt like I had lost a friend, almost.

Maybe we weren't particuarly close, like Ino and I, but... but she was... a _part_ of me. I felt like I had lost that part of me - that I was missing a piece of myself. A piece I could never get back, but at the same time... a piece I didn't _want_ back.

Like a skin that I had shed. She was an old comfort, but it was time to move on. It was time for her to rest.

It was a conflicting feeling. Did I mourn her, or was I, perhaps, content she was gone?

_It's hard enough having to deal with the betrayal I feel for Obito, and the worry and grief I felt for the village. I'm already emotionally spent._

I snuck a peek over at Itachi.

He seemed... grief-stricken. He probably knew Obito, too. It didn't help he was probably exhausted and just watched his home get partially destroyed.

"Are you okay?" I found myself asking.

Itachi's eyes flickered towards mine, and I felt as if it mirrored my own - our pain was sincere. Neither of us wanted Tobi to be Obito,.

"Are you sure... are you sure it's him?" Itachi asked quietly.

"Yes," I answered, my voice equally quiet and small.

Itachi gave a slow nod, reluctantly accepting this. "... Where are you taking us?"

"I don't know. I just... I just know we can't go back there."

" _You_ definitely can't," Itachi agreed.

"Neither can you," I retorted, disliking the situation. "You're far too sick - if you go back there, you _will_ overexert yourself and die. I can't let you do that."

Itachi's eyes flashed stubbornly. "And you can stop me?"

I squared my shoulders. "I _will_. We... we cannot go back there now. We have to... we have to have faith in our fellow shinobi and kunoichi that they can do this without us."

Itachi gave me a disgruntled look, but he did not voice his disagreement. "So we just wait here, then?"

Self-loathing crossed my features and I avertd his gaze. "We have to, don't we? I... _I_ have to, at least. If Tobi found me... if he got me... with his eyes..."

Itachi's eyes did not leave my form. "He knows you can teleport - he probably believes we have gone far away. He might not think to look for us in the village, Nao."

"And if he does?"  
"We can distract him long enough to escape again," Itachi said quietly, confidently. "We can't just sit around and hope for the best. We _need_ to help our village."  
I nodded my head, smiling with relief. "You're right. I'm taking us to the academy - we need to make sure all the children have been evacuated... just... please... don't use your chakra anymore than you _have_ to, Itachi."

Itachi did not respond.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

_Will this end? At this rate... We_ need _Naruto and Yagura to come back, but at the same time... I don't want them anywhere near the Akatsuki leader._ My brow furrowed. I bit my index finger and performed quick summoning.

In a puff of white smoke, Shiori fluttered in front of me. Itachi frowned at that and I created a small black hole between my hands. I held the hole up for Shiori to use. "Shiori, because you are my summon and are bound to me, you can traverse through my portals without me. Take this portal and go to Naruto and Yagura - tell them the village is under attack by the Akatsuki."

 _~Will you be alright here, Nao-sama?~_ Shiori asked, slowly beginning to gracefully descend into the black hole.

"I won't let anything happen to her," Itachi promised. I glanced over my shoulder at him, before offering Shiori a reassuring smile.

"It's fine," I insisted. "Please hurry."

Shiori did not reply, instead she dove into the black hole. It disappeared without a sound, and then I felt Itachi place his left hand on my shoulder. Surprised, I looked up at him, but instead found his Sharingan activated and his eyes narrowed. He was looking at a black dot in the sky.

"Itachi, please deactivate your Sharingan," I whispered, "you _know_..."

Itachi's eyes narrowed even further before they widened. Without warning, he pulled me tight against him, his arms wrapped around me, squeezing me. I barely suppressed my squeal, just managing to keep my cheeks from flaming _too_ hot.

"Don't move," Itachi whispered, bowing his head. "Put your goggles on and close your eyes, Nao."

Shakily, I pulled my goggles over my eyes, just in time to see the black dot stop moving. Red erupted my vision as raw chakra flowed out of Itachi. My heart stilled, as fear and dread began to knot its way into my stomach. Itachi began to shake silently, trembling from exertion, and I wanted to scold him from using his chakra, but fear held my tongue.

I did not know what was going to happen next.

But I knew it terrified me.

And then all at once, there was a wave of _pressure_ and rubble and rock and _corpses_ were sent flying in a tidal wave against us. The skeleton shook under its weight and the sky was engulfed from our vision by the earth. Everything shuddered and convulsed, but the red skeleton remained unfazed.

Then the shaking stopped and with a pained cry, the skeleton threw back its arms, freeing us from the debris.

Itachi panted and seemed to have lost his footing, because he fell on me. I was able to hold him up, my arms wrapping around him as I gently lowered him to the ground. He was coughing up pools of blood, and his eyes were bleeding.

I ripped off my goggles, throwing them away.

"Itachi?!" I demanded, my eyes widening and my breath hitching. Whatever that move was - whatever that _thing_ was - had severely strained him. He was gasping and choking on his own blood, and I was helpless to do anything.

I didn't know any medical skills to stop his body from breaking down like this.

My eyes stung and my chest tightened. "Itachi, Itachi, please... please no... don't... don't..."

My hands flew to his chest when his eyes flickered closed and his coughing stopped.

I couldn't feel a heartbeat.

"No," I whispered, shaking my head. "No, no..."

No.

No.

_No._

Electricity flared to my hands and I slammed them against his chest. "Beat, _Goddamnit_! Don't you dare - don't you _dare_ martyr yourself!"  
Nonononono...

His body jerked and I withdrew the lightning chakra, instead placing my hands in the center of his chest. I began to quickly press down and release thirty times before I plugged his nose and breathed air into him. "Stay with me... don't die... _don't you fucking die_!"

My vision was blurring and I was trembling. My own breaths were coming into short gasps, because if _Itachi_ could die, then what about Ino? What about _Papa?_ What about _Momma? Kalashi?!_ Did I lose it all? Did I lose everyone I had loved to the Akatsuki?

Oh, _God_....

Panic was starting to settle in when Itachi _still_ wasn't breathing.

HEdidn't _desserve_ thishedidn't _deserve_ tojust -

It wasn't _fair_ itwasn't _right_ , hecan'tjust -

Ijustfoundhimandhejustfoundhiswaybackhome!

Why

_Wasn't_

He

_Breathing?!_

My hands flared with light as electricity sparked around them and I slammed them over his heart again. " _Please_ , Itachi!"

 _Pleasepleasepleaseplease_.

His body convulsed and he gasped.

I gave a strangled sob, biting hard on my bottom lip as I felt his heartbeat.

_Ba-dump... ba-dump... ba-dump..._

"Oh, thank you... oh, thank you...." I whispered, wiping away furiously at my eyes. I wiped away the tears that had fallen down to his cheek, apologizing quietly for getting him wet.

Shakily, my hands moved to cup his head and I pulled it close to me, setting it in my lap. Silent sobs caught me as I looked around and examined what was left of my home.

It was a desolate wasteland. Where there was life and joy, there was only rubble and dust and corpses. My left hand rested on Itachi's forehead to feel his warmth - _Oh, God, please don't ever let it get cold -_ while my right hand remained over my mouth to quiet my cries.

_Ino... Papa... Momma..._

_They didn't have Itachi... what if they...? What if...?_

The pain was nearly unbearable. It pressed down on me, forcing my shoulders to fall down and for me to yield to its weight. My forehead rested against Itachi's, and I hugged myself tightly, crying.

_Thank God... oh, thank God Yagura wasn't here... that he was with Naruto, and that Sasuke is out on a mission... oh... thank... thank God..._

_Stop... stop crying... have to stop... the Akatsuki is still there. Survivors... you need... you need to find survivors, so stop... stop crying, you damn little girl!  
_ I snapped my back straight, barely managing to stop the tears. It still hurt - the pain was still fiercely cutting through me, but I had to stop. I had to. I wiped at my eyes a final time.

 _I'll have to make a clone to look for survivors. I can't leave Itachi like this - he's defenseless. I have limited chakra left, considering I may have to fight off the Akatsuki. If I make a portal, I don't think I'd have enough to_ come back _and fight off the Akatsuki member. Considering the damage he has done, I'm not even certain I_ could _fight him off. Maybe the best approach is to find survivors and regroup...?_

With some form of plan in mind, I began to raise my hands to form a clone, when something caught my attention.

There was a giant puff of white smoke in the center of the village - inside the crater.

My eye widened as I recognized the chakra.

"Yagura?" I whispered, uncertain if my tone was hopeful or fearful. I didn't want Yagura _anywhere_ near the Akatsuki now. I wanted him hidden away to the farthest corners of the world with Naruto.

"Hmph. So you both _did_ come back to the village."  
Chills ran up my spine.

I turned my head around to find Tobi - Obito - standing behind us. At his feet were his cracked goggles. A shudder ran inside of me, clawing its way out, slowly, mercilessly. Adrenaline burned in every part of me, spurring on the growing panic.

"I'm going to ask you again, nicely," Obito said quietly, "to please come with me."

_Hiseyeshiseyeshiseyes._

Why

Was

He

Looking

At

Me

Like

_That?_

"I can't," I said. "You can't... _you_ can't know the future, Obito."

"I don't care about that," Obito dismissed. "I _know_ the future already, Nao. The future ends inside the genjutsu. What I care about, for the moment, is people finding out my identity. I can't have people know I'm not Madara _yet_. And seeing how you know that..."

Obito gave a lazy shrug, taking a step forward. His foot kicked the goggles, and his attention fell down to them.

He stared at them for a couple of heartbeats before he looked back up at me, his Sharingan flaring to life in his only visible eye. "Do you really think you can make a portal faster than I can move this time? Itachi isn't conscious to slow me down now."  
My hands curled into fists, but I did not verbally respond. My tongue felt thick and heavy.

"Don't... count me out... yet..." Itachi rasped, his voice strained. My only eye widened and I looked down to find Itachi glaring at Obito with one eye closed. The other eye was opened and his Mangekyō Sharingan was whirling to life. "Who... is faster... my... genjutsu... or your... physical speed?"  
"Itachi, _no_ ," I said. "If you use that... you'll _die_."

"So... be it."

" _No_ ," I snapped, my eyes starting to sting again. "I refuse... I _refuse_ to let you die for me like this. You can't... you're not allowed to...."

"So it's okay... for _you_ to sacrifice yourself... for your friends... but others cannot sacrifice for you...? Hypocrite..."

"Hn."

I looked back over at Obito, anxiety churning inside of me. Obito was watching the two of us before he snorted again. "You won't always be there, Itachi."

"We'll... see... about that..."

Obito shook his head and turned his back to us before he disappeared.

With a shuddering sigh, Itachi closed his other eye. I wiped away the blood that had gathered on his face with gentle fingers. "Itachi, please rest... you can't take any more."

Itachi replied quietly, "Perhaps... but... not yet..."  
"Don't be stupid over this... I'll knock you out if I have to," I threatened weakly.

"You're going... to have to..."

I hesitated. I wasn't certain if knocking him out would be healthier for him at this point. His body was already so taxed - I was afraid if I forced unconsciousness on him, something would break. Itachi seemed to realize this, because his lips twitched into a smirk.

I cupped his cheek, another shudder running through me. This time, it was from the adrenaline that had pounded inside me so roughly previously subsiding. I sniffled and when the first drop landed on his cheek, I immediately wiped it away.

"Don't... cry..." Itachi said weakly.

"Can't help it," I whispered. "Our home... Itachi, our _home_... I don't even know if... if anyone else survived."

"Don't lose... hope, yet..."

Shaking my head, I used my other hand to wipe at my eyes.

"Nao?"

My head whipped around, my eye widening as Yagura landed right behind me. I reached for him in the same instant he reached for me. I grasped his hand and squeezed it, while he looked at me with calculating eyes.

"Are you alright?" Yagura demanded.

Dismissing his concern, I turned back to Itachi. "Itachi needs immediate medical help. He - "

"Alright, I'll have my clone send Sakura over," Yagura said abruptly. "Are _you_ okay?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, another tremble crawling its way across me. "I mean... I mean... physically, yeah, I'm okay."

Yagura's brow furrowed and he gave me a pained expression. "... Sakura will be here soon. What happened?"

"Pein," I said quietly, and taking a deep breath, I began to explain what had happened. Itachi closed his eyes while I did so, silently listening. Yagura wore a blank expression during the entire recount, but he kept squeezing my hand tighter and tighter as the story progressed.

I did not mention Obito.

By the time I finished, Sakura had landed beside us, her hands glowing green. I looked over at her, relieved that at least _someone_ I knew had survived the attack. Sakura placed her hand on Itachi's chest, and Yagura moved to sit beside us.

From Sakura's eyes, I could see she had been crying, too. Not that I blamed her.

"... You don't need to worry anymore," Yagura said quietly, firmly. "The real me and Naruto will take care of Pein... Your sister is fine, by the way. She's with Inoichi."

I choked back a relieved sob and bit hard on my lip to restrain myself from actually crying anymore.

Feeling horrendously exhausted, and far older than I actually was, I leaned on Yagura. I did not speak, but merely watched as Sakura healed my friend. Feeling Yagura beside me - even if he was only a clone - was a surprising comfort. His back was straight and his eyes hard, but he was confident and calm. In this hellish, desolate place, he was a familiar and comforting face.

I wasn't entirely sure what I would have done if he _had_ been here and if Pein had taken him away.

_Please..._

_... don't let me lose him._

.

. .

. . .

**Interlude - Nao's POV - 16**

I rubbed my eyes tiredly, flipping through the photo album. I had awoken in the middle of the night, caught by a sudden nostalgia and in my fit, I had taken to looking through Ino's old photo albums. It was entertaining to see so many of the memories taken down to print.

I stopped in my flippings, my eyes lingering on one particular picture. It was Itachi and myself. He was smiling politely, induling in the picture, while I was blushing furiously. He had come over to pick up Sasuke, that night. Seeing that picture reminded me of my very first meeting of Itachi.

My very first meeting with Itachi was probably the strangest meeting I had ever had. It was one meeting that quickly became a secret between the two of us. When Sasuke 'introduced' us for the 'first time', it was in actuality, the second time and neither of us bothered to explain that to him.

Why?

Because I had broken down.

I _knew_ my memories were tampered with, by my own hand even. And I always felt a sort of foreboding sense whenever I thought about them. I knew they would only bring me pain if I dared to remember them, so I did my best to ignore them and live out my life. When I had met Itachi, my mind was nearly ripped out of me. It was like... It was like I was standing on a tight rope, just waiting to fall off.

It was shortly after I had befriended Sasuke. He was sick one day and the sensei had chosen me to give him his homework. Sister was sick as well, or else she would have gone with me. But luckily, she hadn't. I was on my way to the compound, taking a more scenic route when I encountered him. My body was frozen stiff the moment I first laid eyes upon him. He paused in his walking as well, noticing my odd behavior.

And I could feel tears welling up in my eyes and I felt such _pain_ and _loneliness_ and _guilt_ and _ohGodIwantedtodiebecauseithurt_ so _much_.

My body was shaking and suddenly, I dropped my papers. Itachi wasn't alone that time, his friend (Shisui) was there with him and stared at me in such surprise. I ran towards Itachi and threw myself at him, sobbing.

Itachi was so surprised he didn't react for a _long_ time.

When he did, he finally asked, "Why are you crying?"

It took me a while to answer, because my hiccups and snivels would have made it hard to understand me and I decided to wait 'til I calmed down a bit more. "B-Because you can't."

That was my first meeting with Itachi. It was a meeting I would feel horrible about, overcome by embarrassment at my very blunt and rash behavior. But Itachi and Shisui were gentlemen about it and never brought it up again, so the whole incident could safely be forgotten and ignored.

It was a very strange meeting indeed.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are **love.**


	41. Arc XVI - Reunion

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **_  
_ **

**Interlude - Omniscient - 17**

Lee leapt off from the roof of a building, landing precisely in front of his rival. A shine took to his eyes and he gave a thumbs-up in greeting. "Yosh! It is time, my rival, to continue our competition."

Nao lowered her book on fūinjutsu for a brief moment. Her hair fell over her face, concealing her wounded eye. She was on her way to the academy to assist in teaching - one of the standard Chūnin missions all fresh Chūnin had to partake in at some point - and as such, was in her uniform.

"What?" Nao asked, tilting her head. "I'm sorry, Lee, I wasn't paying attention. Could you repeat that?"

Lee fell forward for a moment. "Ah! That cool attitude of yours...! Never mind that, my youthful attitude will outmatch yours. I challenge you!"

Nao blushed faintly, looking a little nervous at all the looks the two were given. "Ah... okay. What shall it be?"

A blaze lit up in Lee's eyes. "I challenge you to..."

.

. .

. . .

"What's going on?" I whispered, as Yagura's clone began to make rapid handseals. He did not immediately respond, but slammed both of his hands on the ground. Sakura looked up, startled, when rocks erupted and surround us.

"Things are getting more intense," the clone said. "When Itachi is stable enough, I'm to escort all of you out of the village."

Sakura bit her bottom lip. "It will take a while. I... There's a lot of damage, I don't know how much I can fix with the limited supplies."

"What do you need?" I asked quickly, my heart leaping to my throat. Did that mean Itachi could still die? Was she saying she might not be able to save him, after all he's gone through?

"More chakra for one thing," Sakura said grimly.

"T-Take mine," I said, thrusting my hands out to her. Another shudder ran through me, reminding me that the adrenaline had yet to leave my system. Sakura stared at my hands for a couple of seconds, before she carefully raised one of her own hands and gripped my right hand.

"Do you understand the risks?" Sakura inquired.

Nodding my head, I said, "I know. Withdrawing chakra can also cause chakra exhaustion for the volunteer. I trust you not to take too much, and I trust myself to know when to stop. I know the other risks, as well, and I'm fine with them."

Sakura squeezed my hand. "Alright."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"It's over."

Slowly, tiredly, I dragged my eyes to Yagura. When he had put up the rock walls, he had subsequently sealed off our sight of Naruto, Pein and the real Yagura. We only heard and _felt_ the battle. With each explosion and each painful silence, I always squirmed and squeezed Yagura's hand tighter and tighter. Sakura had finished taking my chakra a while ago, citing that it would be enough for now, leaving me feeling helpless to do anything.

Itachi refused to sleep; instead he just stared with one creaked open staring up at the sky.

I wasn't certain how much time passed. It seemed to drag on for an eternity. It was excruciatingly painful just sitting there in silence... waiting... hoping...

The clone stood up, and pulled me up with him, as neither of us had let go. "I'm going to lower the walls. My real self is with Naruto, on our way back to the village."

"You left?"

"Naruto did," Yagura said simply. "He wanted to go alone. He's exhausted, though, and I'm carrying him back."

I looked down at Itachi, and my heart jumped when I saw he was trying to sit up. Sakura glared at him, placing a firm hand on his chest and pushing him down. "Stay down, Itachi-san. You can't get up, yet, I'm not done!"

Itachi resisted Sakura's insistence, continuing to sit up until I kneeled back down and used both my hands to push him down.

"Itachi, please," I said softly, quietly. "I'll be fine. Please... stay here with Sakura."

Itachi frowned. "I... cannot do that... I must insist..."

Yagura's clone gripped his staff, whirled it around and then slammed the butt of it on Itachi's forehead. I gasped, looking up at an annoyed Yagura. "Sensei!"  
"He'll be fine," Yagura dismissed. "He doesn't have a head injury - he's exerted, so he needs sleep more than anything. I'm dispersing now."

Still looking irritated, the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke after lowering the stone walls. Sakura and I exchanged long glances, before she looked back down at Itachi, her hands glowing green. Taking that as permission to leave, I turned on my heel and stumbled a couple steps. I was physically and mentally exhausted - even more so due to the fact that I had very little of my chakra left.

Once I caught myself, I took off into an unsteady sprint to the front gate.

I saw many others were heading that way - I heard the whispers and shouts of joy and I caught a handful of words. Namely that it was Naruto who they had to thank for their lives. They all swarmed to the gate, and I stopped. I was a ways from the gate, but I knew that they were all waiting Naruto's return.

Naruto, who had been scorned by Konoha, was about to be welcomed home with utter love.

It brought a tired smile to my lips, and I continued on, but this time I chose to hop up on the gates when I reached there. I preferred to stay out of the crowd. I crouched low on the pillar, until Kakashi flickered up to crouch beside me.

"Sensei," I said, looking over at him, "are you alright?"  
Kakashi's eyes closed as he smiled at me. "Mn. Just tired. You?"  
"Just tired."

Hesitantly, I reached out and grasped his shoulder, making sure he was real. After seeing such devastation done to my home, it felt a little odd to see one of my dear companions be... _alright_. Kakashi seemed to sense this, because he placed his hand over mine and gave me a reassuring eye-smile. "Don't worry, Nao. Everything's okay now."

My brow furrowed, worry still squirming inside the pit of my stomach. I opened my mouth to respond, but abruptly shut it when I sensed two familiar chakras. My head whipped around to find Naruto slowly pulling away from Yagura. My childhood friend stumbled a bit, but walked into the village, grinning sheepishly.

Yagura stayed behind, panting and leaning on a tree.

Kakashi let go of my hand and in the same instant, I leapt down from the pillar, stumbling and running to Yagura. My eyes were on his blood-soaked shirt and my hands flew to his chest, feeling for any wounds. Yagura sighed. "I'm fine, Nao."

I ignored him, continuing my search. There was _so_ much blood - that couldn't be right, how could a body hold so much blood? When I found no wound on his chest, I grabbed his arms and started examining them.

"Nao, really, I'm fine," Yagura grouched. "Would you stop that?"

I turned him around and he gave a groan of annoyance, before digging his heels in the ground, whipping around and gripping my shoulders. Startled, and still a little dazed by the fact that _he was drenched in blood_ I relentlessly continued my search.

"Honestly, Nao, _I'm okay_ ," Yagura groaned. When it seemed like I wasn't going to respond - and I wasn't, hadn't planned on it - Yagura finally grasped my shoulders, and forced me to look him in the eyes. " _Nao, I am okay_."

I stared at him in uncertainty. Was he really okay? Could he really be _okay_? Seeing how his eyes unwaveringly stared back at mine, and his self-assured presence didn't falter, I finally found myself relaxing. Wave after wave I felt the relief crash over me. It weighed me down, and lightened my load all at once.

Biting my bottom lip, I continued to stare at him, uncertain of how to convey what I felt. I was speechless, words caught up in my throat, choked by emotion. Yagura continued to look at me for a couple more seconds, before his gaze softened and his grip on my shoulders relaxed.

"Hey," he said softly, "it's really okay."

Just nodding my head, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him. He stiffened, then after a couple moments of being unresponsive, he returned my hug, albeit a bit awkwardly.

"Okay... you can let go now."

Slowly, I released my hold on him, still giving him a worried look. Yagura shook his head, rolling his eyes. "I swear... you're too nice to be a kunoichi."

I flushed.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I was clinging onto Ino, and she was clinging onto me. Our entire family was gathered, along with Shikamaru and Chōji's. We had all met up at where our compounds met. We didn't have a lot of food left over from the attack, and orders had already been sent out to the outskirt bases to send some food over. Reconstruction was already starting. Thankfully, we had _plenty_ of resources to rebuild.

Others that were not bound to us by blood were there. Anko and Ibiki, for starters. We knew them fairly well - they both have had dinner with us on several occasions, as they were close coworkers with Papa. Anko had, surprisingly, hugged both Ino and myself, before mingling with the rest of the family.

Naruto was being hugged by Momma at the moment, fiercely I might add. He was blushing and looking mildly uncomfortable, but relaxed at the same time. It wasn't the first time Momma had hugged him, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Kakashi and Yagura sat up in the trees, perfectly content with watching the reunions from afar.

Ino kissed the top of my head, squeezing me tightly. "I'm just glad you're okay. I really owe Itachi..."

I nodded my head. "I owe him my life, many times over now."

"Where is he?"

"He's in the urgent care with Tsunade-sama. Tsunade-sama..." I trailed off and Ino just held me tighter. News that our Hokage had slipped into a coma in her valiant effort to protect us was unsettling, to say the least. Hopefully... hopefully she would wake up soon.

Ino sighed, pulling back long enough to glance around. "... What a mess. I know I said I wanted a new room, but..."

"Not the way you pictured it?"  
"Not even close. Thankfully Konoha learned its lesson from the Kyūbi attack and have stored away quite a bit of money in case of something like this," Ino sighed. "It's going to take a while to rebuild, though."

"Maybe not," I said, smiling faintly. "Maybe we can just have Naruto pop out a couple thousand clones."

Ino gave a giggle. "A thousand Narutos running around rebuilding Konoha? No, thank you! He'd paint everything orange."

"Not _everything_ ," I teased.

We both erupted into a fit of giggles, only stopping when Papa wrapped his arms around us. He kissed the top of both of our heads and then said, "Well, it really does seem like we didn't lose anyone in this invasion. We're lucky Naruto was able to persuade the enemy to perform that mass resurrection."

"That's our Naruto," I said.

"Mn. But, sadly, it's about time we stopped celebrating. We need a roof over our heads tonight, so ladies, it's time to get to work! Looks like all those D-Rank carpentry missions are paying off, eh?"

We both groaned.

. . .

. .

.

**Interlude - Nao's POV - 17**

A gasp tore at my throat and I shot up in my bed. I clutched at my eye, feeling it throb and burn. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to lie back down. A sheen of sweat covered my form, and I had to concentrate to steady my breathing.

Minutes passed by, as I waited for the throbbing to subside. It came rarely, and never lasted long. I could go months without ever experiencing it, so each time it came, it came as a bit of a surprise.

When it had calmed down, I gently removed my hand and sagged, staring up at the ceiling.

Several more minutes ticked by, and I found that sleep would not greet me warmly. With a sigh, I threw back my covers, grabbed Obito's goggles, and crawled out my bedroom window. My bare feet hit the cold, wet grass and I leapt up onto the roof. With ease, I began hopping from roof to roof, a destination in mind.

I wanted to go to the Memorial Stone, but when I neared there, I found a couple unfamiliar chakra signatures there. Not wanting to intrude, I decided to go Obito's grave. It didn't take me long to reach there.

My toes dug into the cold grass, and my hands curled as they clutched onto my nightdress - just a simple, white one. I had pulled the goggles over my eyes on my way here, so everything was tinted blue.

Sighing, I turned my back to his grave and sat down, resting against his stone. My hands clasped as I rested them in my lap.

"I've always been a light sleeper," I told Obito, feeling mildly irritated. "When I was little, I used to go just go into the library and read until I fell asleep. After I met Kakashi, though, and got to know him a bit better, I started going to the stone. He was there most of the time, and sometimes we would talk. Other times we would just sit there."

I fiddled with my fingers. "I miss them. Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi. I miss them more than I care to admit, actually. Do you miss anyone, Obito-ue? I'm sorry if this is bothering you, but... I don't know. I got into the habit of visiting Kakashi and talking with him, that I guess I need to talk to _someone_ before I can go back to sleep. He's about as responsive as you, so..."

My lips twitched into a faint smile at that.

A chill ran down my spine, and goosebumps rose along my skin. I felt, for a brief moment, I was being watched - as I normally do when I come here. My smile widened at that - it was rather comforting, that feeling. There were some days where it felt like Obito really was there - that he was just sitting on the other side of the stone, listening to me and responding in his own way.

Perhaps to some, that would have seemed a bit off or creepy, but to me...

It just seemed like I made a new friend.

Even if he wasn't actually _real_.

Clearing my throat, I said, "Have I ever told you about the time that Naruto dyed Kakashi's hair pink? No? Well, it was an interesting day to start off with..."

If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn I heard a chuckle.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** Gimme your three favorite characters from any single genre. Now make them fight to the death. Who wins?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	42. Arc XVI - Relief

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **_  
_ **

**Interlude – Omniscient – 18**

"You want... to play... rock-paper-scissors?" Nao stated, completely surprised by Lee's simple task.

Lee's eyes lit up with glee and he nodded his head furiously. "It was the last task that Gai-sensei and Kakashi performed together before Kakashi left! It seems only fitting."

"O-kay," Nao said, still giving Lee an odd look. She held out her hand, forming it into a fist and Lee mimicked her actions.

"One – two – three!"

Lee and Nao presented their hands – Lee's hand had kept its rock form, while Nao's hand had flatten out. Lee gasped in horror. "I lost?! Then I must perform five hundred push-ups – no! _One thousand!_ "

"Okay," Nao said hesitantly, while Lee sprinted away in a burst of speed. Nao watched him leave for a couple of moments, scratching her cheek sheepishly.

.

. .

. . .

"A summoning?" I asked hesitantly. I was carrying a tray of snacks and I set the tray carefully on the table. Surrounding the table were Papa, Shikaku, Chōza, Kakashi, Yagura and the ANBU Commander. They were the makeshift council, seeing how the real council members were no longer in play (both were discredited with Danzō, apparently) and the Hokage was out of commission. I knew Hizashi, the Hy _ū_ ga leader, would arrive shortly, along with Tsume and Shibi.

They weren't exactly talking in a private place, so the information wasn't sensitive, which was why I was able to remain there without worry.

"That's right," Papa said, sighing. "Neko called us here because we need to decide how to deal with it. We can't send our Hokage to the summit, but there's not enough time to properly appoint a new one, and we can't afford to seem weak. The Kumo shinobi already have seen the devastation the village has suffered..."

Neko, the ANBU Commander, gave a curt nod. "Which is why I propose we send a publically strong team."

"Forgive me for my tardiness," Hizashi said sharply, taking a seat at the table.

"Given the current state of affairs, I think it's understandable to be a bit late," Kakashi said dryly.

"I suggest sending Hatake Kakashi as representative," Neko proposed. "He's well-known and respected, and the Feudal Lord has expressed interest in his appointment as Hokage."

Kakashi seemed to cringe at that. "Tsunade-sama isn't dead, yet, let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"And while I agree with the fact that Kakashi is a strong shinobi," Hizashi said blandly, "he has little political experience, and this is clearly a political gathering."

Shikaku nodded his head. "You have a point, Hizashi."

Feeling a little like I was eavesdropping, I finished giving everyone their snack and promptly headed away. I had little to say in the matter, so it was moot. Besides, I promised Itachi I wouldn't be away for long.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"There are things I'd rather leave unsaid, fear of opening a long forgotten wound. There, inside the castle I had built all for myself, it was filled with an emptiness so deep I could drown," I sung softly, the words coming easily to me.

Itachi slowly opened one of his eyes, his obsidian eye resting on me. He was laying on a matt in a secluded section of the medical tent. It was easy to ignore all the other patients, in that little corner it seemed like it was only the two of us. "What song is that?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "I was just thinking about something when it came to me, to be honest."

"Do you know the ending?"

I shook my head, offering a sheepish smile. "No, I'm sorry. I can't seem to remember it at the moment."

"What were you thinking about?"

At that, I hesitated.

"... Obito."

Itachi opened both his eyes at that, looking at me fully. His once relaxed face tightened, and a small frown tugged his lips down. "What do you want to do about him?"

My eyes trailed down and I sighed. "I... I don't... I don't want to tell the others about him. It would _destroy_ Kakashi, Itachi. After this whole fiasco and to find out that Obito was behind it... I don't think Kakashi could handle it. And... and... to be truthful, I'm still not sure... I'm still not sure he really _is_ Obito now."

That was true. I didn't know if he was Obito or not. Did Obito still exist, or was he swallowed up by Tobi and Madara? Did a kind-hearted boy still beat inside that hollowed-man's chest, or was he as dead as Kakashi believed? I didn't know. I didn't understand. How could someone so wonderful grow into something so twisted...?

I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to shut my eyes and shove that memory far away. It was a painful, perpetuating wound that stung and left all sorts of aches. For a man I had _idolized_ to have fallen so far into darkness... it physically _hurt_. It felt like someone had taken my heart and used it as a pin cushion before dropping it into a pit of dry ice. That kind of betrayal, I knew, would never really leave me. It would be there; a constant reminder that this world was a cruel place.

How many more people must I watch be hurt?

"It would do no one any good at this point," Itachi said softly. "Perhaps it might prepare them... perhaps not. If we tell someone, we have no way of knowing what detrimental consequences it may have. Kakashi _might_ break from this, true. However, on the other hand he might _not_ and will be given time to prepare. It would do us no good, strictly physically strategically, to tell them about Obito. Our past knowledge on him would be detrimental, if not useless, to this current one. We do not even know if he is the _real_ Obito. For all we know, he could be a clone... or a manipulated Edo-Tensei."

I did not feel like that was the case.

In my gut, I knew that Obito and Tobi were the same. I knew it with every fiber of my being.

But did they need to know?

Was it wrong of me to hold my tongue on this information, when I knew it would only hurt? Itachi was right – the only _good_ that could come out of them knowing was mental preparation. However, there was a good chance, if not a higher chance, of it back-firing and causing distress and loss of motivation. It seemed unlikely that Obito would reveal his true identity to anyone on purpose, so perhaps... just perhaps... they could eliminate Obito without anyone finding his identity.

Maybe... maybe after they....

My heart constricted painfully and my stomach dropped. I didn't like this. I _really_ didn't like this. Thinking about eliminating _Obito_ like an enemy. Treating a war hero like a villain. Treating a _martyr_ like a _pariah._

.... Maybe after they had taken him down and discovered his identity... it could be assumed he was just an Edo-Tensei. A puppet. Unable to control his actions. In doing so, his sacrifice could be preserved...

 _But it's a lie_.

"What a horrible choice," I mumbled.

"We do not know all the facts," Itachi said softly, firmly. "When we know for certain that this man really is Obito... and that he is in full control of himself... _then_ we should tell them. If we do so sooner, it could cause needless panic and pain, seeing how we have no real proof. Do you... agree?"

"Yes," I answered after a moment of careful thinking. "I think... I think that will do just fine."

_I wonder, though... if we're doing the right thing... or if we're doing what's easier?_

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Leaving...?" I echoed, trailing off. I sat next to Naruto on a bench, watching as his clones set to work around the village. The two of us were taking a small break after working for the majority of the day.

Naruto nodded his head, sipping his juice. "Mm-hmm. Kakashi-sensei, Gai and Shikaku are heading to this Summit meeting or whatever. They already left – didn't have time to really say goodbye, I guess?"

"I guess," I said. "Ah, most of our compound has been rebuilt. Do you want to stay with us tonight?"

Naruto beamed at me. "Sure! What time should we head over?"

I looked up at the sky – still blue, but the sun was beginning to dip down. "We can head back in an hour for dinner. If you see Sasuke, invite him, too, please?"

"'Course!" Naruto exclaimed.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Momma set down the last plate on the _huge_ table. It seemed that our celebrations had yet to end, because the Akimichi, Nara _and_ Yamanaka clans were hosting a giant bbq. Ino had dressed me up with her, and we met the other girls outside of the party. We stood in the trees, and watched over the party, whispering to each other. Or at least most of them. I, along with Hinata, just stared out at the party and watched our friends and family enjoy themselves while our girlfriends talked.

Even the Hyūga clan showed up! Even the _Aburame_ clan appeared, and everyone knew they hated loud, obnoxious parties. Unsurprisingly the Kurama, Yuhkei, Inuzaki and whole other list of clans.

"No, no, no, for once you _have_ to wear your hair out of their buns," Ino argued, folding her arms across her chest. She wore an elegant purple kimono with our clan's flower covering it. Tenten and I wore our summer kimonos – hers was a light, soft baby pink and mine was a vibrant blue. Hinata wore a graceful Hyūga kimono – rich with colorful flowers and a white background.

"No," Tenten said stubbornly. "I'm not letting you dress me up like a doll like you do with Nao!"

Ino pouted. "But it's fun! Right, Nao?"

"I have no comment on the matter."

" _Imouto!_ "

I sighed, exchanging glances with Hinata. Tenten and Ino continued their silly squabble, and I dropped my voice to a whisper. "Do you think we could get away with sneaking away now?"

Hinata giggled, covering her mouth with her hands to smother it. "I don't see why w-we can't try."  
"Let's give it a shot," I declared, before I dropped down to the floor. Hinata dropped down beside me and we both looked up at the tree. Ino and Tenten hadn't even noticed. We smiled shyly at each other, before taking each other's hand and walking into the party.

Laughter and shouts of stories filled the air, along with the smell of delicious food. I could hear wolves howling not too far, and the sounds of squealing children. Hinata and I maneuvered through the crowd, neither of us going anywhere in particular, but simply enjoying the atmosphere and company.

"Y-Yagura told me what you did," I said, moving closer to her so I could drop my voice so only she could hear.

Hinata blushed. "I-I, um..."

"Thank you."

Hinata blinked in surprise at me.

I smiled at her. "Naruto is a precious friend of mine, and Yagura a precious teacher. Thank you for risking your life for them. Um... if you don't mind... do you think you could help me take pictures of tonight?"

"Pictures?"

I rummaged through my small purse before producing two disposable cameras. Hinata's eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh. I see."

"Itachi won't be able to make it, and I thought these pictures would help," I explained, "and I know Nee-chan will want some pictures for her albums."

Hinata gently took one of the cameras, smiling serenely. "I would be glad to help."

"Imouto, there you are!" Ino exclaimed, flickering to my side and huffing at me. "I can't believe you left me behind."

Tenten landed beside Hinata, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Probably because we were boring them. Enough about that silly squabble, though, let's enjoy this party, ne?"

"Mn!" we all agreed.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

We had split up after a while – perhaps some hours or so ago – and I maneuvered through the long hallway in our home. A bottle of sake was in one hand, and a juice in the other. At the end of the hallway, I held out the bottle of sake and Papa took it gladly. He kissed the top of my head right afterwards. "Thanks, pet."

"Happy to help, Papa," I said leaning on his side. Anko and Ibiki, the two people Papa were talking to, both offered me faint smiles – okay, Anko's smile was more of a leer. "Momma wanted me to tell you that she was with Noshiro and is going to set up fireworks at midnight."

"Alright!" Anko exclaimed, fist-pumping. "Does she want any help, kiddo?"

"Um, I don't think she'd decline any help," I said quietly. Anko's leer widened into a wicked grin.

"Excellent. Later, girlies!" Anko cackled, taking off into the night. Ibiki snorted and Papa rolled his eyes.

Papa said, "It'll be a while longer until midnight. Hizashi and I were going to get a game of poker going. Would either of you care to join us?"

Ibiki smirked. "You know I'm not one to back down from a challenge, Inoichi."

"N-No thanks, Papa," I said, scratching my cheek sheepishly. "I'll see if I can get others to join, though."

"Thanks, pet. We'll set it up on the roof in about five minutes."

"Okay."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I was on my way back up to the roof, walking swiftly through the hallway. The game had gotten so large, they had to add a couple more decks into it and change it into bullshit, no longer poker. To say the least, it was an interesting turn and there were many laughs and accusations of cheating – nothing major, mind you, and all in good-nature.

I had gone back downstairs to use the restroom, but I was hurrying back up.

The fireworks would be starting soon.

As I walked quickly, I found a mirror resting at the edge of the hallway – likely placed there as there was nowhere else for it at the moment.

I stopped.

My only visible eye drifted over to the bang-covered eye. My pale hand lifted up and brushed back the dull blonde hair and tucked it behind my ear.

I stared at my reflection.

Not of her. Not of them or of it. Of me.

Just me.

I recalled my words to it... How I told her that this was my life, regardless of the mistakes I had made. I would rather be here, in this actual reality, than in that happy make believe it had created. I told it that, and I meant what I said.

It made me think of what she had said to me before she left me. She told me to be proud of my life and what I had done. She said not to regret my actions, nor her own. I didn't regret her leaving - she had finally made peace with her own life and was ready to move on and out of my head. But, at the time, I wasn't sure if I regretted my actions.

I remembered how Sai's words had stung me, all those weeks ago. I remembered how I had felt so ashamed of my appearance - of my mistakes - that I had shied away from him and the others. It seemed so silly now, that shyness I held.

My eye would never be okay again - I would always only see out of one eye, but did I regret that? No. Not anymore. Why? Because I realized, somehow, that I would not change the outcome. I protected my teammate, and while it cost me my eye, it spared him some pain. I couldn't change that outcome, I wouldn't want to. Because I lost my eye, I found new motivation to grow and become stronger - I trained harder and for longer hours to make up for the handicap and in the process I found self-discipline.

The mistake defined me - it spurred me on. I gained the Curse Mark, but in exchange I learned fūinjutsu. I wouldn't have bothered with the arts if not out of necessity, but it was still a defining mistake.

I trembled and shook in the sea, too terrified to even move. In doing so, I found out that I could rely on others - that it was okay to have moments of weakness, so long as I faced them, and I did not let them control me.

I was captured by the Sound Four, but that only made me want to grow stronger. To learn and train and fight until I could hold my own against the world. Until I could stand on equal footing with my comrades and know that I had the power to help them.

Each mistake I had made in my life changed me - for better or worse, I could not decide.

But it made me who I was today.

I couldn't regret who I was today... because... I liked who I was today. I saw this girl in the mirror, and I knew she wasn't her, or it, or them... she was me. She was what I had become. She was the product of my achievements, my experiences and yes... my mistakes.

She wasn't fake.

She was reality - _my_ reality.

I liked that. I especially liked the thought that... she wasn't done growing, yet. There was still life out there, still possibilities of her changing, of new things defining her.

It was an attractive idea.

I knew I would always be shy. I would always hesitate when it came to social choices, but I was okay with that.

It was who I was.

And I liked who I was.

Above me, I could hear the first of the fireworks explode and the sounds of warm laughter.

. . .

. .

.

**Interlude – Nao's POV – 18**

I pulled out the brush from the soapy, warm water and placed it on the wooden walkway. Beside me, I could hear three other brushes being pulled out of buckets and being placed on the long wooden walkway.

To my left was Ino, squatting down and grinning at me. To my right was Tenten, in the same position and Hinata beside her, smiling softly.

"You ready girls?" Ino asked. "Operation: Clean Sasuke's home is a go!"

"I-It's Naruto-kun's home, too," Hinata pointed out.

"Fine. Operation: Clean Team 7's home is a go!"

I giggled. " _Someone's_ got to keep this place in shape while they're gone. Thanks for helping me out, girls."

"No problem-o," Tenten said. "The sooner we get this place cleaned up, the sooner we can have another party!"

"Is that all you care about?" Ino teased. "Partying?"

"You know it!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Question:** Favorite cartoon when you were little?
> 
> Reviews are **love**!


	43. Arc XVII - War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **BEFORE YOU READ PLEASE READ THIS WARNING** **:** I created two different endings for this story. One of them is **realistic** and the other is a **fluffy-cuddly** one. This chapter is the last chapter that is canon for both endings. The next chapter will be the realistic ending, and the final chapter will be the fluffy-cuddly one. So at the end of this chapter, pick your poison.
> 
> **The realistic ending will carry on with the war (along with the Obito / Madara confrontation) while the fluffy ending skips straight to the epilogue.**

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** _**  
** _

**Interlude – Omniscient - 19**

"His name is Obito," she said quietly.

Ino gave the grave an unimpressed look. " _This_ is where you sneak off to, like, every other day?"

"I think it's sweet," Tenten offered.

Nao blushed in sheepish embarrassment under her sister's scrutinizing gaze.

He watched her from his perch in the tree, as she gestured to the grave to her friends. He made sure to keep his chakra suppressed, so none of them could sense him. He made sure to keep his mask on right, and he held his staff tightly between his legs and arms. He rested his chin on top of his knee and continued to stare at them.

The girls were teasing her now, but she just kept smiling at them and chirping on about Obito.

That was the girl that had saved him.

Him.

The Mizukage.

 _Ex-Mizukage_ , Yagura thought absently. She had saved him without knowing his identity, or even caring. Despite knowing he was her enemy ( _was_ being the operative term), she still wanted to be close to him.

He could, he supposed, have told her than none of those rumors about him were true. That he wasn't an actual bloodthirsty, sadistic, malicious killer than those rumors painted. He could say that the Sharingan-user made him do all those horrible things to his villagers, and to his enemies.

He could.

He didn't.

She didn't care.

Or maybe she did, but she just didn't show it. When he had brought it up, that one time so long ago, she just stated that the past didn't define a person—what they did from when they met her and then on, was how she would judge a person.

He told her she was an idiot.

She just ducked her head, her cheeks turning rosy, and accepted the criticism.

That made him more irritated at her naiveté and he hit her over the head. Lightly, of course. Not enough to really hurt her, but enough to get his irritation across. He wasn't used to dealing with people like her.

Well, he wasn't used to dealing with _friends_ period.

But, she wasn't quite a friend, either. She wasn't just a student, or comrade, or friend. She was something else entirely, and Yagura didn't quite know what. Not that he cared to find out. He had a feeling finding out would only cause unnecessary tension between the two, and he liked what they had going.

Ino pouted. "This grave looks cleaner than my room."

Nao beamed. "Thank you. I try to take care of it, for him. This one, and Rin's grave."

He wasn't even sure why he followed her. He just saw her walking through the streets with her friends beside her, and before he knew it, he was moving towards her, his hand reaching out to touch the top of her head.

He still remembered _her_ hand on _his_ head. At times, it felt like he could still feel it resting atop of him, comforting him. When he was Kame, and he had been ensnared by those dreams, it was her murmurs and her hand on top of his head, that brought him out of it. He didn't fall back asleep for a long time, but he faked sleeping within five minutes after her promising to stay by his side.

She didn't leave him, like he expected her to. Instead, she stayed right where she was.

Her hand on top of his head, and her voice talking quietly about unimportant things.

"Th-Thank you for indulging us, Nao-chan," Hinata said, bowing slightly.

Nao beamed at the girl. "I was happy to. I really admire Obito, so I'm glad I could tell you guys about him."

Ino gave her sister another odd look. "You admire the strangest things, Nao. When are you ever going to actually _like_ a guy? You know, by the time I was your age..."

Tenten groaned and playfully shoved Ino. "Leave Nao-chan alone. Not every girl has to be a fangirl, you know. Just be glad she's obsessed over _this_ —" Nao objected at the word _obsessed_ , but Tenten pretended not to hear her. "—and not some loser, or psychotic maniac."

"I guess so," Ino said dubiously.

Yagura stood up from his perch, stretching. He reached up a hand and brushed back some of his more stubborn bangs.

 _Why did I even follow her in the first place? I was supposed to meet Ibiki and Anko for another debriefing, now Anko will never shut up about me being late,_ he thought, feeling mildly annoyed at himself. His eyes rested on the youngest girl of the group, as she started to defend her claim that no, she was not _obsessed_ with Obito or the dead.

He reached up a hand and rested it on top of his head, recalling the feeling of _her_ hand on top of his head.

He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh, dropping his hand and turning away.

_Whatever._

.

. .

. ..

"War," Itachi breathed, his eyes closing as he relaxed in his hospital bed. It had been a few days since Kakashi and the others had left for the Summit. Within that time, Konoha had swiftly been rebuilt – and most of it was finished, actually, a huge thanks to Naruto's clones. When Kakashi had returned, he called together another meeting.

The morning after the meeting, Papa told Ino and myself what had happened.

Tobi had declared war on all the nations. All the bijū he had collected, against all of us. Papa told me this war was to prevent anymore bijū from falling into his hands. He said that Naruto and Yagura would be going away.

I felt my heart constrict every time I thought of _that_ little tidbit.

Thankfully, that very morning, Tsunade woke up from her coma and resumed control.

Itachi placed a gentle hand on the top of my hands. I hadn't realized my gaze had lowered down to the hands in my lap until all of a sudden, I saw his hand over mine. "... Are you okay?"

Slowly, I raised my gaze to meet his. "I just... I'm just worried..."

Itachi gave me a small, knowing smile. "I understand, but your eyes convey something a bit more. You're worried for your family and friends, but also...?"

I flushed. "I don't know if I should be glad that you know me so well, or annoyed that you know me so well."

Itachi's smile widened a bit more. "Ever since I returned to Konoha, you have been a good friend and have been there for me. It seems only natural that I could recognize when a dear friend is trouble."

"Thank you," I said, sincerely meaning it. Then I took a deep breath and sighed. "I just... I just don't like the thought of not being able to be with them. They're going to be... well, _they're_ what Tobi is after. I just... I just feel like... like I should be with them. A-And besides... Yagura-sensei and I are trained to fight _together_. It feels wrong to go into such a huge battle without him..."

"I understand," Itachi said sympathetically. "I suppose I'm a bit luckier in that regard. Sasuke and I will be guarding the Feudal Lords. I won't be allowed near the front lines so soon, due to my condition, and I was able to convince Tsunade to keep Sasuke with me."

"Will you be defending the Lords entirely?" I questioned, a sudden nagging feeling wiggling in the back of my mind. Without warning, the words escaped my mouth before I could even process them, "If you see Black Zetsu, use Amaterasu on him and make sure he is _completely_ eliminated."

We both paused at the suddenness of my statement. My lips tugged down into a frown, as I tried to scrounge up any reasoning for it.

"... I suppose that will be your _intuition_ speaking?" Itachi inquired lightly.

"... It just slipped out," I confessed. "... Are you?"

"I will eliminate Zetsu, should I see him," Itachi promised me. "And no, not exclusively. I would imagine that should any one squad desperately need our assistance, or if another task needs to be done, Sasuke and I will attend to it."

"I see. I'm glad you two won't be on the front lines so easily, though."

Itachi's brow furrowed. "I suppose. Although, now I'm worried about _you_ being on the front lines."

I gave a little laugh at that. "I'll be fine."

The door to the room opened up, and Yagura stepped in. I abruptly stood up from my chair, my eyes widening in surprise when I realized _he wasn't wearing his mask_. "Yagura?! What are you doing?"

Yagura waved his hands dismissively at my surprise, walking into the room and towards us. "The Kage know I'm alive – hence why I'll be staying with Naruto – and so do the Akatsuki. There's no point in hiding my identity now."

"O-Oh, right," I mumbled, feeling mildly embarrassed that I hadn't drawn to that conclusion myself. Yagura rolled his eyes and placed a hand on top of my head. My cheeks warmed even further, partially from embarrassment, and partially from contentedness at the gesture. Itachi's eyes took a thoughtful light to them, as he looked in between the two of us.

Yagura retracted his hands, his eyes roaming across the room and resting on Itachi. "Hello, Itachi. Feeling better?"

"Much, thank you."

"I must thank you for protecting Nao during the attack," Yagura said softly. "Perhaps after this war, I can properly make it up to you, but for now, I must keep this short. I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal her away. Nao, say your goodbyes."

Confusion flickered across my face. "Goodbyes? What's going on?"

"You're coming with me," Yagura instructed.

My eyes widened, as both Itachi and I stared in surprise at him. "What do you mean?"

Yagura smirked at me. "I told you: you're coming with me. We'll leave with Naruto and the others for the island."

"So she won't be on the frontlines?" Itachi asked.

"Not unless we are," Yagura said simply.

"But... how? Why? I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything, I'm really happy about this, but – "

Yagura snorted. "I convinced Tsunade it would be best to keep you with us. You're to help keep Naruto under control, as well as be our line of defense."

"O-Oh," was all I managed. Then a bright, soft smile formed across my lips, and I moved a bit closer to Yagura. "Thank you."

Yagura pointedly looked away, his cheeks tinted red, and he folded his arms across his chest. "Whatever. Just hurry up and say your goodbyes. You have an hour before we leave."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I sat in the grass, my legs tucked underneath me, as I stared at a picture of team seven in our Genin days. I had to make several clones in order to say goodbye to everyone, and pack everything, on time. It wouldn't be too much longer until Yagura came to collect me, and we left.

My fingers brushed across the faces in the picture, and my stomach clenched.

Ever since I had left the hospital to say... to say my... _goodbyes_... I had this sense of foreboding. This sense of _dread_... that... that goodbye wasn't just a word. That perhaps... perhaps...

... perhaps it was a finality.

I knew, rationally, that it was just my over-worried imagination. We were preparing for a major life-and-death situation; a real _the world is counting on us_ scenario. Ever still, I could not shake the feeling.

What if someone I cared about... really did die? What if... what if I lost someone...? What if my goodbye to someone... really was just that? A _goodbye_?

I squeezed the picture in my hands, before folding it and putting it in my Jōnin front flack. I was in uniform. Yagura had given me a new _hitai-ate_ that simply read _shinobi_ on it. I wore it around my neck, where I used to wear my goggles.

Obito's goggles.

Obito's goggles now rested beside the bluebells I had brought to the memorial stone. They were cracked from where Obito had stepped on them. I picked them up with gentle fingers, feeling my heart clench as I thought of the wounded man.

A thought whispered in the back of my mind that I should just discard them. That I should just leave them; they were broken and gone and there wasn't anything I could do to fix them. They would only hinder my vision.

"I'm not giving up that easily," I whispered.

My hands tightened around them, and then I pulled them over my head. I adjusted them, so they rested on the top of my head, the cracked plastic gleaming in the sunlight.

Even if they were damaged; even if they were unamendable; even if I _should_ just discard them... I wouldn't.

They deserved better.

And who knows? Maybe... maybe they weren't such a hopeless cause? Who was I to abandon them...? Besides... _those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum._

"Maa, more bluebells?"

I glanced up and smiled at Kakashi. "Sensei! What are you doing here?"

Kakashi gestured to the stone. "Saying my goodbyes, of course."

My nose crinkled at that word. "Goodbyes, goodbyes, _goodbyes_. I'm starting to hate that word."

"It doesn't make it any less true," Kakashi said, moving a bit closer and standing next to me. I stood up, as well, still holding the bouquet of flowers. "This is war, Nao. Not everyone will return."

I winced, my eyes trailing down. Kakashi placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. "I know it's hard, but it's best to be prepared. And besides... I won't let anything happen to my comrades; I promise."

The dread that had knotted its way into my stomach eased a bit at his words. Kakashi then gave a playful chuckle, "Besides, call me superstitious, but I find that when you prepare for something, you normally don't need the preparations... whereas if you _don't_ prepare for it..."

"... you do," I finished with a grin. "You're right. I'm just being silly."

Kakashi shook his head. "No. You're just yourself. This isa _huge_ affair. You _should_ take it seriously and don't discount how you feel. _But_ , don't let it consume you. Just because saying goodbye is unpleasant... doesn't mean you should avoid it. You never know when you'll get the chance again."

"Yeah," I said softly. I looked down at the bluebells and I set them down before the stone. "... I'm... I'm going into this war with friends and family at my side... and I swear... I'll come out of it with them still at my side. _All_ of them."

Then, I pointedly stretched up on my toes and kissed the spot where Obito's name was. "... Even if I have to drag them out kicking and screaming."

Kakashi chuckled. "Maa, maa, I don't think anyone will complain about coming home from the war."

I grinned cheekily. "I don't know, Yagura _really_ likes fighting. He might complain that life will be just too boring for him."

"Hmph!"

We both turned around to see Yagura strolling across the grounds, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Too boring, huh? Then I guess I'll just have to find my entertainment elsewhere. Perhaps some new, more _intense_ , training regimes for my _favorite_ student?"

I nervously smiled. "... Um..."

"Are you ready to go?" Yagura asked.

I glanced back at Kakashi, then I returned my gaze towards him. "... Yeah. I think I am."

Yagura held out his hand to me. "Then follow me."

"Mn! I will."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I handed Shiori the last of the seals. "... There you go, Shiori."

Shiori's wings fluttered gently, bits of snow dust falling off it. _~I understand, Nao-sama. But... you will be careful, won't you? I don't want to have to deliver these.~_

"I will," I promised, then I crawled out of the hammock.

We had departed from land not long after leaving Konoha. We were tasked with keeping the jinchūriki out of the war – to protect them from Tobi and the Akatsuki. Yagura, Yamato, Gai and myself were the only ones from Konoha who knew the truth of the mission on the ship. Naruto, unfortunately, did not. We were ordered by Tsunade to keep it that way (and with good reason, as we knew that if Naruto knew the truth... there was no way he'd be content on sitting on the sidelines). Instead, he merely believed he was going for training.

We had departed via ship, heading for a private island owned by Kumogakure. There, we would meet up with Killer Bee (the Hachibi jinchūriki) and some other Kumogakure shinobi. We were tasked with keeping all the jinchūriki there. The island moved throughout the ocean, never staying in one spot, so it was an ideal place to hide them.

The trip there was... interesting... to say the least (and extremely uncomfortable for Gai and myself. Gai because he was severely sea-sick and myself because of my... aversion... to the sea). But, nothing truly noteworthy happened.

"Nao?"

Shiori disappeared in a puff of smoke, and I glanced over to find Yagura. He stood beside my hammock, looking up at me and offering a small smile. "We've arrived at the island. Come along now."

I returned his smile with a bright one of my own, and I crawled out of my hammock. With Yagura right at my side, I climbed out of the ship and up onto the deck. Every time I came up on the deck, I tried my damndest not to look out at the waters. Instead, I had usually huddled close to either Yagura or Naruto.

A couple times, I full out clung onto their arms, trying to untangle the panicked knots that formed in my stomach. Neither of them complained, as they had both used my teleportation technique.

They knew my fear of the ocean.

Just as before, I stuck close to Yagura on the deck, ours arms brushing against each other with each step. Swallowing roughly, I tried to ignore the rising fear that came with seeingthe ocean.

Yagura placed his arm around me, facing me in the direction of the island. There was a heavy fog around us, but I could make out the bearings of the island. Large spikes jutted out from it, climbing high into the sky. It looked almost foreboding, but I could see its appeal as a fortress.

"How is _that_ a paradise island?" Naruto demanded, looking aghast at the thing. "That stupid frog-sage said that the 'Octopus' was going to train me on an island – a 'paradise'! _How_ is that a paradise?! It looks like something out of a damn horror movie."

I shuddered at the implications we were at sea... in a horror movie.

"Naruto," Yagura growled, " _watch yourself_."

Naruto pouted, then noticing my _extremely_ uncomfortable expression, he winced. "Sorry, Nao. Didn't even think – "

" _Obviously_ ," Yagura cut in.

Naruto glared at Yagura, and the Sanbi jinchūriki just gave him a haughty look. It was then that the ship's captain, a Kumogakure shinobi by the name of Miji, walked out onto the deck. "It may not look like much, but it's not a bad place. And if you leave the animals alone, they'll leave you alone. Well... except for one."

"Except for one?" Yamato repeated, walking out onto the deck, as well.

"Who cares?" Naruto retorted. "We're here, so I can finally get some training done."

"Wh-Why do you want this octopus to train you, anyway? Why not Yagura?" I asked hesitantly.

"Because my training wouldn't work the same. Isobu, the Sanbi, is a reasonable bijū," Yagura explained. "I was able to come to a compromise with him. From what I understand, the Kyūbi cannot be reasoned with in the normal fashion. I wouldn't know any other way to forcibly control the bijū chakra."

Naruto sighed. "Stupid fluffball... Why can't he be nice like Isobu?"

Yagura's lips twitched in amusement. "Doesn't matter. We're here now, so – "

It was at that moment that a giant tentacle erupted from the ocean, rising high above us. Naruto looked positively thrilled. "Octopus-sensei! You've come for me!"

I, on the other hand, was trying not to hyperventilate.

"That's not an octopus tentacle, Naruto," Miji said warningly. " _That's_ a squid, _and_ the one creature that _won't_ leave you alone."

The rest of the squid leapt up from the water, revealing its slimy, disgusting, horrifying form. The ship rocked violently in waves, nearly tipping over several times. I really was hyperventilating at this point.

"No," I denied. "No. No. No. _No_. This is not happening. _Just_ when we finally get here... _no_. Nope. Not happening. Uh-uh."

My brow furrowed as I opened up a black portal. "Everyone, get in. _Now_. I'm taking us to the island."

"But what if it's the octopus that's supposed to train me?" Naruto whined.

The look I gave him was enough to make him bow his head and docilely follow behind me in the portal.

Yamato quickly went back inside to grab a queasy Gai, while Miji ordered the rest of his men to follow him through the portal.

Thankfully, the island was _very_ nearby, so I didn't need to exert myself _and_ the teleportation lasted only a handful of seconds. Not enough time to actually walk through; it was just a quick jump through. Painless, almost, for once.

I had taken us onto one of the spikes. Miji peered out across the ocean. "That's a neat trick you have there."

I didn't reply, choosing to just focus on the island and _not_ the ocean. I could hear something else erupting from the water, and Naruto gasped loudly. "It's an octopus! Look, it has _eight_ tentacles."

"That's not just any old octopus," Miji said, grinning. " _That's_ Killer Bee, and his bijū... Hachibi."

"Looks like he has complete control over his bijū – making a perfect beast transformation," Yagura commented, looking mildly impressed.

I refused to look back at the ocean. I didn't care if that was Senju Hashirama himself having a goddamn tea party with Uchiha Madara. I was _not_ looking at that stupid ocean.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

We officially met Bee when he returned to land and we climbed down from the spikes. The island was fairly nice, after getting through the spikes. The trees were tall and the vegetation was almost tropical. The weather was decent, too.

Best of all, you couldn't see the ocean once you got past the spikes.

"Stop grinning, you look like an idiot," Yagura whispered to me.

"I swear I'm trying," I told him, still grinning. "I just... I'm just _really_ glad to be on land again."

"You're such an idiot," Yagura grumbled, but there was no malice or bite in his words or tone. It was more affectionate, than anything.

Killer Bee was a tall young man with dark skin and pale blond hair pulled back. He wore a familiar sword on his back (Samehada?). "Fool ya fools, you guys didn't need to act so rash, I wouldn't have let you crash."

"We meant no offense," Yamato apologized.

Killer Bee waved his hands dismissively, and another Kumogakure shinobi landed beside him. "I'm Motoi and I'm in charge here. I'll take you all to your lodgings."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"You Konoha shinobi can use this entire floor," Motoi said. "There's plenty of rooms for all of you. The dining hall is downstairs, you can eat whenever you want."

"Well, then," Yagura said, "pick whatever rooms you'd like. We'll adjourn until tomorrow's meeting at seven. Nao, pick a room, drop your stuff off and follow me. We'll see if we can squeeze any more training in."

Naruto pouted. "Aww... I wanna train."

"Go find your octopus," Yagura muttered.

"Fine! I _will_ and we'll have _way_ more fun training than you guys _ever_ will," Naruto declared. I suppressed my giggle, and Naruto gave me a wink before ruffling my hair and heading off. I randomly picked a room, and dropped off my stuff.

The _hitai-ate_ that read shinobi was kept in my pocket for the mean time – it would do no good to allow Naruto question where I got it from. Instead, I wore my goggles around my neck per usual, although I still wore my Jōnin uniform.

After dropping off my things, I headed out of my room and met Yagura in the hallway. He tilted his head in greeting, and the two of us left for some private training.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"So, so, so then I hugged 'em and then, and then, Killer Bee said he'd train me!" Naruto exclaimed, grinning brightly. We sat side by side on the roof, the sky a pretty dark blue as stars started to come out. We laid on his orange jacket, my own Jōnin flack being used as our pillow.

I looked over at my old friend and smiled warmly at him. "That's wonderful, Naruto, I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks! Ah, jeeze, I'm so hyped up I can't sleep. Thanks for agreeing to stay up with me," Naruto said, sitting up. He looked down at me, grinning so widely he had to shut his eyes. I beamed in return.

"'Course. That's what best friends are for," I said.

At that, Naruto's grin softened and he said in a quiet voice, "Ya know... I never really got, uh, ya know... thank ya..."

Confused, I frowned at my dear friend. "Thank me...? For what?"

Naruto laid back down beside me, knotting his fingers together and tucking them behind his head. "... Ya know... you were my first friend."

"And you were mine."

"Not a lotta people liked me, but then we became friends and all of a sudden... I mean... I'm just really happy."

"Me, too," I said. "Naruto, you're a wonderful friend. If it weren't for you... I doubt I'd have the confidence to do a lot of things. I doubt I would have been so motivated to... to become stronger. I admire you a lot, Naruto. You're more than my best friend: you're family."

Naruto's smile was getting bigger and brighter as I spoke. He was fidgeting happily, and his cheeks were rosy. "Ehehehe. I feel the same."

I sat up and poked his cheek. "We should probably at least _try_ to get some sleep, though. If Bee's going to train you to control the Kyūbi, you'll need as much rest as you can get."

Naruto pouted. "But, but, I'm not tired."

I scooted back and pulled my legs in, then I lifted Naruto's head and rested it in my lap. I placed one hand over his eyes and with the other hand, I began to run my fingers through his hair. "Hush. Just relax."

"I'm not eight," Naruto protested, "this trick won't work on me, anymore!"

He was snoring within three minutes.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Naruto left with Yamato early in the morning. I was allowed to sleep in a bit. When the sun was fully up, peeking in through the curtains, I finally opened my eyes. With a yawn, I sat up in the bed and stretched. It felt a little odd to be sleeping in, especially knowing that a war was coming...

A felt a sudden surge of worry for my family and friends back in Konoha.

There was a knock on the door, and before I could respond, it opened up. Yagura poked his head in, his eyes resting on me. "I felt your chakra awaken. Good morning."

"Good morning," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. "How did you sleep?"

"Fairly well. Get dressed. We'll have some breakfast, then we'll continue our training."

Before I could respond, a sharp burn pierced through my left eye. I clutched at it, wincing. Immediately, Yagura was in front of me, grabbing my hand and tilting my head back to look into my eye. "... Eye pains again?"

"Y-Yeah," I managed, struggling to keep from wincing again.

Yagura's brow furrowed and he pursed his lips. He dropped his hand away from my chin, then rummaged through his pack. He pulled out a bottle of pills, and popped out a couple of them. "Here. It'll help with the pain."

I grabbed the pills and swallowed them dryly. "... Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I'm just glad we don't have to re-seal your Curse Mark again so soon."

I had to smile at that. "That _would_ suck, considering I haven't even drawn up the next layer of seals for it."

"Don't procrastinate," Yagura scolded lightly. "Now get dressed. We have a big day ahead of us, just us two."

"R-Right," I said, ignoring the pleasant flutters in my stomach.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I held the boxes of bento close to my chest as I entered the temple. Yagura was trailing behind, looking around at the temple with a thoughtful gaze. It was some time afternoon when we had decided to take a little break. We were currently bringing lunch to Killer Bee, Naruto, and Yamato.

It didn't take too long to find the entrance to where they were training. The door to the room opened after I knocked and we entered the room.

Naruto sat crisscross in the center of the room. Half of him was consumed by the Kyūbi – immediately causing me to tense, but Killer Bee's and Yagura's relaxed state kept me from voicing my worry – and half of him was in his Sage mode. Yamato was to the side of him, his right palm stretched out in preparation of subduing the Kyūbi should Naruto fail to control it. And Killer Bee stood in front of Naruto, his arms crossed over his chest.

Yamato and Killer Bee looked up as Yagura and I entered the room. I held up the bentos. "I brought lunch for everyone."

Killer Bee grinned. "Nice timing! I was getting low on energy for my rhyming."

"Thanks, Nao," Yamato said, smiling.

"Will Naruto be able to pause his training?" I inquired.

Killer Bee gave a hum. "Dunno, dunno, 'probably will when his chakra gets low."

"Then I'll just set his beside him," I said. Killer Bee moved forward and grabbed the top bento, while Yagura grabbed the one below it, and Yamato the one below that. I sat one of them beside Naruto, then sat down myself and opened my own box.

We ate in comfortable silence, and as we ate, Kyūbi's chakra slowly dwindled down. By the time we finished eating, the chakra was completely gone and Yamato relaxed his stance. A smile curled Naruto's lips and he opened his eyes. With glee, he raised his arms and shouted, "Alright!"

"How did it go?" I asked, just as Yamato asked, "What happened?"

Naruto looked surprised to find Yagura and me there, but it didn't last long. His smile stretched into a grin and he said, "A lot of good things happened."

He stretched out his right hand into a fist and bumped it with Killer Bee. Killer Bee said, "I see! I get it! Understood! Your expression now is looking good."

"What about the Kyūbi?" Yamato asked. "Did you get it under control?"

Naruto and Killer Bee ignored him, as the Hachibi jinchūriki said, "It's all good, especially when you used it in that situation, yo! ... Whoa, Naruto! Don't tell me that by that, you mean... You know what?"

"Yep!" Naruto said. "That's right, ya know!"

 _Oh,_ I said, realizing what was transpiring. _They're communicating through their minds... through their chakra. Their chakra is connecting in their fist and Naruto and Killer Bee are somehow able to share memories through that contact. It's... it's not like the Yamanaka Clan's mind-reading technique... the way their chakra is moving... I wonder... if it's a jinchūriki thing._

"Then explain it in ways I can understand! How can anyone understand when you're using such vague wording – you're doing it on purpose," Yamato accused.

"Relax, Yamato," Naruto said, "I've got Kyūbi's chakra in a safe, separate place now."

"So it went well?" I inquired.

Naruto grinned at me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me in for a hug. "Ya bet it did. I'll tell you all about it tonight, yeah?"

I giggled, wrapping my own arm around him and squeezing him. "Good."

"I'll show ya," Naruto said, standing up, "when I use his chakra."

Suddenly golden light enveloped Naruto, and it was like he was encased in a golden fire. His clothes fluttered around like he was walking on a wind tunnel, and there were odd black designs on his chest and belly. What was really interesting was how his chakra felt. I was used to feeling his chakra as a large, cool thing – it reminded me vaguely of a lake in its enormity and depth. However, when he became enveloped in that warm fire, his chakra felt like... like...

... like home.

The wooden pillars that Yamato had constructed suddenly began to grow and grow, branches and leaves climbing out of them.

"Amazing," Yamato breathed.

"This form is overflowing with a combination of nature chakra and bijū chakra," Yagura observed. "It's on a whole other level."

"Mn," Naruto agreed, then stiffened. His eyes narrowed and he glared at the sword on Bee's back, Samehada. "And how long are _you_ planning on hiding in there?"

All eyes turned towards Samehada, just as Hoshigaki Kisame erupted from the odd sword. He gave a feral grin. "It seems that you can sense hatred and feelings of evil. The limitations of Sensory-Types don't apply. Is that the power of a jinchūriki who has mastered the powers of the Kyūbi?"

"Kisame," Yagura growled, "what are _you_ doing here?"

"Yo, Mizukage. Although, I suppose that's a bit outdated, isn't it? _Keheh_ ," Kisame chuckled.

"I thought we chopped your head off a ways back," Killer Bee growled. "How did you manage to escape?"

"I simply switched out with a White Zetsu during our battle in the bubble. They're able to completely take form of another person's chakra and form. You killed _it_ , while I hid in Samehada," Kisame explained, still partially merged with Samehada. "Anyway... three jinchūriki, a wood style user, and the one girl I'm not allowed to kill... I am in a serious predicament."

_The girl he's not allowed to kill...? What...?_

Kisame smirked, then stepped back and hit some sort of switch, crawling on the wall. The door to the room unlocked and opened, and without hesitation, Kisame sprang through. Too startled by his words, I was late in my reaction time.

Naruto, thankfully, was not. He flickered towards Kisame and slammed his fist into his back. Kisame wiggled out of Naruto's grasp and sprang from the room, but Yagura was fast behind him. Sadly, though, Naruto's foot had also dug into the room's wall when he punched Kisame. I leapt up beside him, grabbing his hand and pulling him out with all my strength.

We tumbled to the floor, Killer Bee and Yamato already gone to chase after Kisame. Naruto wrapped his arms around me, picking me up. "Come on, Nao! This way is faster."

"I can run on my own," I objected, feeling embarrassed.

"I know, but not _this_ fast," Naruto said with a foxy grin.

We flickered so fast, my mind wasn't able to process our shifting environment. Everything blurred by and I had to resist the urge to gasp in surprise.

I never would have imagined Naruto.... No... _anyone_... being this fast.

We burst through the waterfall that hid the entrance to the temple, moving too fast to even properly get wet.

When we came out, Yagura and Gai were standing over an unconscious Kisame. "Idiot. As Mizukage, _I've_ had training with _all_ the swords _and_ their masters. I know how to control Samehada. It won't ever turn against me, and I know all your weaknesses, you foolish, shark _brat_."

Naruto set me down, and I stood beside Yagura, looking worryingly over him. "Are you okay, Yagura-sensei?"

Yagura smirked. "I'm fine. Let's get him locked up and see what we can divulge..."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Yamato created a wooden pillory for Kisame. He was on his knees, still unconscious, so his head drooped. We all stood around him. It seemed Motoi and Gai had come to visit us, and that was why they were outside the temple when Kisame had left.

Yagura held a wet scroll in his hands. He told us that it was standard for Kirigakure shinobi to swallow all important scrolls and then regurgitate them. It was to prevent enemies finding valued information on their corpses so easily. It didn't take long for Yagura to force Kisame to regurgitate the scroll (although I looked away for that portion, a little sick to my stomach at it).

"Gotta hand it to ya, Yagura," Naruto said, peering at the unconscious Kisame. "You really took him down and got the info."

"Despite being so small, you really made the big blue fall, yo," Killer Bee said.

" _What_ did you just call me," Yagura hissed.

"U-Um," I said quickly, placing my hands on Yagura's shoulders, "w-we should focus on Kisame now, yes? N-Not each other."

Yagura still glowered darkly at Killer Bee, but pointedly turned away from him and focused his glower on Kisame.

"You're a Yamanaka clan member, are you not?" Motoi inquired, glancing at me. I nodded my head. "Then can you read his mind – extract information?"

I fidgeted nervously as all eyes turned on me. "W-Well, yes... I mean... I've had some training, and mind-walking is the best out of the basic clan abilities I can do... but I'm nowhere near as good as Papa or Nee-chan. I'm still, um..."

Naruto placed a hand on my shoulder, giving me a thumbs up. "No sweat, Nao. You got this."

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to," Yagura said, "we can find other ways to interrogate him."

"Not as quickly or efficiently," I sighed. "I'll... I'll try."

Still nervous, I approached the unconscious man. Hesitantly, I placed my hand on top of his head and allowed my chakra and my mind to flow through me and into him.

Blackness clouded my vision before I found myself immersed in a memory.

Not a memory I needed, though, so I moved past it. And the next one, and the next one, and the next one.

I couldn't focus on clear memories like Papa or Ino could. I could only flip through them briefly and get bits and pieces of them. A sound here. A picture there. I continued to flip through them until I finally stopped at one.

Kisame stood over a body. There was no sound to this memory – I wasn't skilled enough to pull up more than one sense of a memory. What caught my attention, though, was that Yagura stood a little ways from him in the shadows.

The two were talking. Thankfully, I could read their lips.

"Good work, Kisame," Yagura said softly, his eyes dancing with amusement, as he stared at the corpse. "I had a feeling he would let his guard down with his student... and I was right."

Kisame gripped his sword, preparing for battle, but Yagura didn't seem to mind. "He was collaborating with the enemy. From this moment on, you are the master of Samehada... and my subordinate."

Yagura stepped out of the shadows, and Kisame relaxed his stance, grinning mirthlessly. "That is, until you eliminate me, too... Yondaime Mizukage-sama."

"I can trust you because of who you are," Yagura said blandly, his expression blank. It was... unnerving. I peered at this memory of Yagura, feeling as though something was horribly wrong with it. That this Yagura... was not the Yagura that I knew. "You have executed dirty missions for the sake of the nation and the village. You've undertaken missions of betrayal. You are well aware that this world is full of lies and deceit."

"I knew that from the first moment I killed a comrade. Killing Kirigakure shinobi, despite being one myself... So what am I? Am I an enemy or an ally? What is my purpose? Where do I stand in this world? Where must I go? And where can I go to find inner calm? There is one thing that is clear to me... I am trapped in a false existence."

There, a shadow appeared from behind Yagura, and I recognized the form immediately.

Obito, although his hair was longer. He began to speak, then, though I could scarcely make out his lips in the darkness. The majority of his face was just blackness to me. "Then I shall release you from the pain of those falsehoods. I will create a place where you belong."

Kisame gripped Samehada again. "Who are you?"

"First, we'll start with this nation," Obito continued, nonplussed, "you have toiled to dispose of your comrades up until now. From now on, work with me as _my_ comrade."

"You seem to have trust in me, but I still don't know who you are," Kisame said.

Obito's Sharingan whirled to life, and Kisame appeared taken back. "Those eyes... they gleam in the dark."

He relaxed, smirking. "I see... The one I thought was the Yondaime Mizukage... was actually you. To think you used the Sharingan to control Yagura... This world really is full of lies. You have the visual prowess to be able to control the Yondaime, who is also the jinchūriki of the Sanbi. Just who are you?"

 _Obito..._ I thought. _You really did control Yagura, didn't you? It was your eyes that entrapped him in those nightmares, too terrified to move...?_

"Uchiha... Madara," Obito lied.

Kisame's eyes widened in disbelief. "He's supposed to be dead. I don't believe you. Show yourself."

"Fine. You can decide whether or not to trust me," Obito said, slowly stepping into the light. I tensed, suddenly finding my throat tighten. I didn't want to see anymore – I didn't want any more confirmation that Obito was Tobi, yet I couldn't bring myself to look away. I was frozen where I stood, watching the scene unfold.

Just as Obito's face was about to be revealed in the light, I was yanked out of Kisame's mind with a painful force. I gasped and fell back on my bum, staring up in surprise at Kisame. I was back in the real world, and Kisame's mouth was spilling over with blood.

He bit his own tongue off.

"Nao," Naruto exclaimed.

"I-I'm fine," I said quickly, "Kisame – he – he bit off his own tongue to wake up. "

Kisame was struggling against the pillory, and we all stared at him in disbelief for a couple seconds. He was laughing, and then he broke free from it. The wood flew back and my arms went up to guard my face. When I lowered them, Kisame had clapped his hands together and water erupted from his mouth.

He became surrounded in a water prison. I moved in preparation to attack, standing up, but Yagura stopped me by placing a hand on my shoulder. "Don't bother. We aren't going to get any more information out of him... regardless."

"What do you mean?" I asked, but Yagura did not respond. Instead, he stared in apathy as sharks were summoned in Kisame's self-made water prison.

Shock radiated from inside me. "N-No... way..."

I watched, both horrified and in disbelief, as the sharks devoured the man named Hoshigaki Kisame.

"Suicide," Yagura muttered. "Just like a true Kirigakure ex-ANBU... _Tt_."

I stepped back, and Yagura squeezed my shoulder.

"Unbelievable," Naruto breathed, as the water fell apart into the grass. "He died so... so we, his enemies, wouldn't get intel. Even in the Akatsuki, there were those that put their comrades first..."

"Even if he was our foe, he died admirably," Gai said firmly. "He died for his cause. Hoshigaki Kisame... I'll never forget you."

Silence fell across the clearing.

Yagura's grip fell off me, and he glanced away. Coldness had settled over me, goosebumps rising. It still seemed wrong... this whole situation... Kisame suiciding... this whole thing unsettled me. It was as Gai and Naruto had said: he died for his comrade.

In Konoha, that would have made him a hero. He would have gotten his name carved on that stone, and I would have set a bouquet of bluebells for his grave.

_I wonder if the next time I set those bluebells down... will I be thinking of him, too?_

Gai moved over to the scroll that had been discarded. "... This is the scroll that has the information he collected. We might as well see what information he was after specifically."

"No – wait – don't open that – " Yagura shouted, just as Gai unrolled the scroll.

Water erupted from the scroll, slamming into me. The chakra intensive water wrapped around me, forming a sort of sphere.

Water Prison Jutsu. I struggled to move, to even see. The water was too heavy and too blurry to make out my surroundings. I heard someone shout out sharks, and vaguely I could make out sharks erupting from the scroll, each in a water prison.

_The intel! They're carrying the intel! I have to get out..._

A shark entered the prison I was in, and I kicked out at it. It launched itself at me, its jaws wide. My brow furrowed and I concentrated on the beast. My chakra wrapped around it, keeping it from moving. I began to push it out of the sphere, although it was harder than I anticipated due to the strength of the jutsu.

When the shark was finally out, I was nearly out of air, and just before I was about to use my kekkei genkai to drag _myself_ out of the water, the prison burst.

I fell back on my knees, gasping for air and finding that the others were being freed, as well. Gai and Naruto wasted no time in taking off after the sharks that carried the intel. Yagura, meanwhile, was at my side, kneeling down while I spluttered and coughed.

"Are you okay?" Yagura demanded.

"F-Fine," I wheezed. "Thanks for getting me out."

"Don't mention it. Come on, we got to get that shark."

We didn't catch it.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

We resumed routine, despite the intel leak. Naruto continued his training in his new mode, and I continued training with Yagura. A couple more days had passed like that, until the first attack on the island happened.

I was with Naruto, Yamato and Yagura when it happened. Naruto was supposed to be studying the animals (as it was part of his 'mission'), and when the island started to shake, I was instructed to stay with Naruto while the rest checked it out.

Yamato was the only one that didn't return.

Yagura told me that he was taken captive, but still...

It made me wonder who else I was going to lose. I wasn't particularly close to Yamato, but I knew he was friends with Kakashi. It made... it made this war seem so much more real... Yagura tried to tell me that Yamato was probably still alive, but...

I didn't want to get my hopes up, just to have them crushed. Another few days of relative peace passed by, until we got word that the war had actually started.

On that day, Motoi interrupted our training session. "Nao-san? Yagura-sama?"

I was panting, leaning heavily on my knees, regrouping myself after the work out. Yagura, as usual, was completely unaffected. "Y-Yeah?"

"Naruto is attempting to escape the island. He hasn't figured out about the war, yet, but he sensed some odd chakra," Motoi said. "HQ told me to tell you to keep him here."

"Right. I'll go talk to him," I sighed.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I entered the temple, walking past the wards that kept Naruto from sensing things outside of the temple. There were several shinobi guarding it, and Naruto stood before them, glowering. Shibi, leading the squad, said, "Go back to your training room, Naruto."

"I'm here. I'll talk to him," I said, brushing past the group.

"Nao, what's going on?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto," I said, "you need to go back to training. You know how important it is for you to gain complete mastery over the Kyūbi. You won't be able to defeat the Akatsuki otherwise."

"I sensed something weird out there, Nao," Naruto argued. "Why can't I just take a look?"

Yagura walked beside, his arms folded over his chest. "... There's an unidentifiable creature out there, Naruto. We can't have you ruining our chances of learning about it. Go back to training."

"I sensed the Kyūbi's chakra," Naruto protested.

"The creature has some of the Kyūbi's chakra. That's why we need you in here, so you don't rile it up anymore when it senses you have it, too," Yagura lied smoothly.

Naruto shook his head, his eyes closing for a brief moment and then re-opening them into Sage Mode. "... Then just let me have a look."

Yagura and I didn't even raise our hands when Naruto barreled past us (although the other shinobi attempted to stop him) and sprang out of the temple.

"Why didn't you stop him?" I asked, turning to look at Yagura.

Yagura shrugged. "Oops."

"You could have stopped him."

"So could you."

"... I refuse to lie to him. What's your excuse?"

"It was too much effort to keep him here. This way is just easier."

I smiled teasingly at him. "Liar. You didn't like keeping secrets from him, either!"

Yagura huffed and stormed past me, marching out of the temple. I figured there was another reason Yagura let him pass – Yagura wasn't the type to purposely disobey orders without at least a few good reasons.

I followed behind him, and we found Naruto standing outside. His entire body was straight and stiff, and his eyes were wide. "... Everyone's chakra... it's..."

"War," I said quietly.

"What? Why is this happening? What's going on?"

"It was our mission to keep you out of the war," I said. "The Kage thought it best if the bijū remained out of Tobi's grasp. I'm sorry, Naruto."

"You gave up our mission _that_ easily?" Yagura asked, turning to face me with a raised eyebrow.

"I can't lie to him," I defended weakly. "While yes, I think it's best if he stays here and out of harms way, I can't... I can't _lie_ to him so boldly."

Yagura sighed. "Where did I go wrong with you? Can't even tell a good lie to a friend..."

"Well _excuse me_ ," I muttered petulantly.

"Nao..." Naruto trailed off, looking lost. "... explain... please?"

"Nao," Shibi, the leader of the guard squad for Naruto said sharply. Although Naruto knocked a fair few unconscious to barrel through, he hadn't gotten them _all_. "It will be a direct violation of the order HQ gave if you do that."

I winced. "... He already knows about the war by now. Our mission is a failure. I'll explain everything, Naruto."

"Our _mission_ is to keep him _here_ ," Shibi said.

" _Your_ mission is to keep him here," Yagura agreed. " _Our_ mission is to protect the bijū. If that means leaving the island, and ending the war ourselves..."

My eyes widened in realization. " _That's_ why you let Naruto past. You just want to go to the front lines, Yagura!"

Yagura appeared mildly guilty. "... I don't like sitting around and waiting."

"Well, neither do I!" Naruto growled. "So can someone explain what the _hell_ is going on here?"

Taking a deep breath, I quickly explained what I could. By the end of it, Naruto was glowering something fierce. "I can't believe Obaa-chan let them do that. Keep me here? _Bullshit_. I'm needed out there. I'm not about to sit on my ass while my friends are fighting and _dying_ for me."

"I couldn't agree more," Yagura agreed. "But, it takes more than just the Sanbi to bust out of here..."

"Then we'll just have to work together," Naruto said. "Nao, can you teleport us?"

"... Actually... no," I said slowly, wincing. "Mostly because they have a seal erected around the island, so..."

"Then we'll have to break through with force," Naruto said.

"Probably," Yagura said. "Naruto, do you sense which direction the war is in?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "Let's go."

 _I just know I'm going to get in_ so _much trouble for this_ , I thought, watching the two hot-blooded jinchūriki take off.

_... But... that's okay._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Killer Bee had assisted us in breaking out of the barrier, as well. The second the four of us were out, I then said, "Um... actually... there's something I need to tell you guys. It's... it's about my teleportation technique."

Yagura glanced at me sharply. "... What about it?"

I let out a slow breath. "Do you... do you remember when I told you about my powers?"

"Powers?" Naruto asked, looking over at us.

"Yeah," I said. I looked over at Bee, debating if it was okay to say it in front of him. Deciding that it was, I elaborated, "My ability... my kekkai genkai... isn't exactly normal for the Yamanaka Clan. My... I... developed differently. Not the first time in the clan, but not common, you see. And... and because I developed differently, I developed more than one ability. However... the second one has a catch. It can only last so long."

Bee gave a hum. "So wait, what you're sayin' ay, is that it might be gone by the end of the day?"

"I'm saying I can only use it once... maybe two more times," I said quietly. "I just... I just thought I'd give you a warning."

Yagura eyed me for a couple moments before he shrugged. "Alright. Does anyone else know about this, Nao?"

"Yeah. I told Nee-chan and Papa before I left because I couldn't find Kakashi-sensei," I admitted. "So those three should know."

"Then I won't ask you to teleport us," Naruto said. "Let's not waste what few chances you have left using it. Who knows when we'll _really_ need it."

"Naruto's right," Yagura said. "For now, we'll just have to run to the war."

"Yeah, okay."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **STOP! STOP~ Stop.**
> 
> **Read for warning(s):**
> 
> As I stated at the top of the chapter, I created two endings. Up to this point is canon in both endings. The next chapter will be the realistic ending (and the original ending I had planned for this story). If you do not want to read that ending, skip to the last chapter and just read the fluffy happy ending.
> 
> Warning you now, the realistic ending isn't super-duper happy.


	44. Realistic Ending - Goggles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **This is the REALISTIC ending chapter.**

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **  
**

"I still can't believe that just happened," I confessed quietly, the night sky high above us and the stars gleaming.

"You still can't believe Killer Bee and Naruto stood off against Tsunade and Ay and convinced them to let them pass... or that Naruto was faster than Ay?" Yagura asked.

"All of it."

"Eheheheh," Naruto snickered, "speechless, Nao?"

"A little, yeah."

Killer Bee and Naruto bumped fists and Yagura rolled his eyes. "Take this serious, you two jinchūriki. We're at _war_. Now let's just focus on – "

Yagura cut himself off, just as all of us leapt into a clearing. He had stopped talking when he realized who stood in the clearing. I didn't recognize either of the two, but Naruto apparently did, as well. The four of us landed in the clearing, as Naruto gasped.

Naruto stepped towards them. "N-Nagato? Konan? What's going on...?"

"Look at their eyes, Naruto," Yagura said lowly. "They're under the effects of Edo-Tensei. You know Nagato died when he invaded Konoha through Pein."

Through Pein...?

Glancing over at the red-haired man, I noticed that his eyes held the Rinnegan. Immediately, I felt torn for the two. On one hand, they invaded my home, but on the other they _literally_ resurrected everyone who had died in the invasion. And... Naruto seemed to genuinely like them, so they couldn't be _that_ bad, could they?

"Naruto," Nagato greeted, his voice barely above a whisper, "although it is good to see you, I wish it were under better circumstances."

"Yeah, no kidding," Naruto muttered. "But, wait, Konan, how did _you_ die?"

"Tobi," the woman named Konan said simply. I felt a rush of shame burn through me at that, my hands curling into fists. "Naruto, listen to us: the caster of this jutsu is in a cave, roughly two kilometers north east of here."

"Wh-What are you – "

Konan shook her head, silencing the blond with a look. "When he realizes we have made contact with you, he will take control of our bodies. We realize this, and that is why you need to listen to us _now_. We do not know who is in control of us, but you need to stop him. With Nagato's eyes – "

"I get it," Naruto said quietly. "I will. Nao, you're a fūinjutsu master, aren't you? Can you seal them?"

"Not a _master_ ," I corrected, "but yes. I know the sealing arrays to seal them. They'll need to hold still long enough, though."

Nagato looked ready to say something, but then he stiffened. Without warning, Konan did, as well, and paper flew out of her arm. I leapt away to the left and Yagura growled, "They've lost their free will. Nao, begin drawing the sealing arrays – we'll cover you."

Trusting in my comrades, I dropped to the ground and pulled out two scrolls. I could hear the clash of battle erupt, but I had to focus on the sealing arrays. I unrolled the scrolls. In one scroll was the appropriate supplies, while the other scroll would act as the canvas to the arrays. I pulled out the ink and brush, steadying my hand.

There was an explosion above me, and I resisted the urge to flinch.

I had to trust in my comrades' ability to protect me. If I made an error in the array, it wouldn't work and the time would have been wasted. Given that we were in the middle of _war_ and this just became a battlefield, I figured that time was something far too precious to waste.

All too soon, I finished the drawings and shouted, "Done!"

"Then let's end this," Naruto declared. His became wrapped in a golden fiery glow and charged towards Nagato. The woman, Konan, was being pinned by Yagura and Killer Bee and I wasted no time in sealing her.

By the time I was done, Naruto managed to force Nagato into a headlock. "Hurry, Nao!"

"On it," I said.

When Nagato was sealed away, Yagura cleared his throat. "We'll need to contact HQ about the whereabouts of the Edo-Tensei user."

"You're right," Naruto said, "but how?"

"We can use Shiori," I offered.

"She wouldn't be fast enough," Yagura dismissed. "We'll use my summons."

"You have a summon?" Naruto exclaimed, his eyes widening.

"I'm a _Kage_. Of course I do, idiot." Yagura shot Naruto an annoyed look, before he slammed his hand into the air. A puff of smoke erupted and a bird shot out from it. It darted around, a soft pale-yellow.

A hummingbird.

Recognizing the bird, I smiled and greeted him. "Hello, Nu-Nu."

Nu-Nu chirped, "Oh, hi, hi, Na-Na! What's up, what's up? Oh? Is it time for me to go? Do I need to fly somewhere? Oh, are we on an adventure? What's going on, Ya-Ya?"

"Go to HQ – the boss should have passed on the coordinates to you when I summoned him last –and tell them that the Edo Tensei user is..." Yagura rambled off the rough estimation of the coordinates. "Make it fast."

"Righty-o-o-o!" Nu-Nu darted, then zoomed off and away.

"Ya-Ya?" Naruto repeated blankly.

"I dare you to call me by that," Yagura threatened.

Naruto winced, unconsciously rubbing the back of his head—probably remembering the last time Yagura hit him over the head with his staff. "Yeah, no, thanks. Let's just get going."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I sensed him before I saw him. I recognized that chakra anywhere, and the moment I sensed him, I felt my heart stop and a rush of emotions slammed into me: fear (for him, or _them_ , I wasn't sure); betrayal; pain; grief.

I faltered in my leap, and as consequences the others raced passed me. Suddenly he was there, leaping into view and crashing his forehead against Naruto's. I stumbled and reached out my hand to grasp unsteadily at the tree. I stared at Obito, at loss of what to say or do. I had thought of so many plans and scenarios to when we would meet again (because we would, inevitably), but actually seeing him... all of it just went out into the wind.

Obito no longer wore his Akatsuki attire with the orange mask. Instead, he wore a white mask with a purple tint, that covered the entire upper-half of his head, consisting of a ripple-pattern with three-tomoe around the center; two of the tomoe acting as the mask's eye-holes. He wore a pair of black pants and gloves, as well as a purple high-collared, long sleeve mantle that split down the lower half and had the Uchiha crest on the back. It reminded me of the clothing shown in the pictures during the Warring States Period in the history textbooks back at the academy.

"I don't know who you are," Naruto declared, glaring at Obito, "and I don't care. We're going to take _both_ of you Madaras down! You hear me?!"

"You don't know," Obito repeated slowly. "I see."

Obito dragged his eyes over me, and I flinched. Even through the dark holes of the mask, I could see his gaze. It ensnared me, bringing up all sorts of fresh pain with it.

"Nao," Yagura said, drawing my attention away from those damning eyes, "there are more under the effects of Edo-Tensei. Prepare the arrays. We'll protect you."

I didn't want to. I didn't want to essentially abandon this fight, but yet I couldn't bring myself to argue.

Part of me actually was glad to not have to fight Obito. It seemed too soon, almost. It seemed... _wrong_.

I dropped down to the forest floor, pulling out the appropriate scrolls and unrolling them. Above me, I could feel and hear the fight begin. My hands shook, as I fought the inner turmoil of emotions that raged inside of me. Mostly guilt ate away at me – guilt for not telling the others about Obito, and guilt for even _thinking_ about betraying Obito in that manner. But, was this man before me – _fighting my loved ones_ – really Obito?

Did Obito even exist?

As thoughts and emotions took control of me, my hands worked quickly to draw the arrays.

Unconsciously, my hand drifted up to the goggles that rested atop my head. _His_ goggles.

I remembered my words and my promise back at the stone.

I couldn't abandon Obito. _I couldn't_. I knew he didn't deserve to be in this pain, but yet did he deserve to bring such pain on others? What made him better than the countless others that were suffering at this very moment because of him? What right did I have to choose him over them? My _sister_ was fighting in this war. Fighting for her life – for _our_ lives, yet here I was... unable to bring myself to tell them about this man.

How many times did I sit at his grave, pouring my heart out to him? Those eyes that I felt on me, that I dismissed so stupidly, they were him, weren't they?

He knew about my ability. He must have known I was a threat.

Yet...

_Yet..._

He chose to leave me in peace. He chose to listen to my stories. He chose to be at my side.

I took comfort at his grave and at the memorial stone. I drew strength from Kakashi's stories about him, and I felt a certain kinship with him. I had built this man up on a pedestal in my mind. He sacrificed everything for his comrades, and in the process brought Kakashi to us – to team seven. His actions saved Kakashi from his own darkness, and perhaps his death brought in a new kind of pain to the man, _but it still ultimately saved him_.

He loved a sweet girl named Rin, despite knowing she never loved him in the same way. I could understand that pain, in a certain sense. I could understand caring for something, or someone, so dearly, but unable to act upon that. Choosing their own happiness over your own.

He didn't even choose to wallow in his darkness, now. I knew that. I understood it so clearly – he was merely being used. He was lost in his pain and sorrow.

This man, who I idolized, was broken.

But, this man, who I idolized, was harming others.

What right did I have to fix him, and essentially abandon the others?

No right. _No right whatsoever_.

No matter how many times I told himself that, it didn't change how I felt, nor my actions. I loved Obito like a child would love their security blanket.

He was there for me, even if I didn't realize it. He was. When I was in pain, I went to the stone or to this grave and I talked to him – _and he listened_. He helped me, so shouldn't I help him?

A shallow excuse.

I wanted to help him. I wanted to fix him, and prop him back up on that pedestal. I wanted to excuse his reasoning for causing so much misery.

I wanted him to be _Obito_. Not _Tobi_.

I wanted the boy that saved Kakashi. The one who loved his comrades and sacrificed everything for him. I wanted the childish idealist who reminded me of Naruto.

But in order to bring that one back – to bring _Obito_ back – what measures would I be forced to take? How much grief would he cause me – how many lives would he take away from me?

What would I be willing to sacrifice?

Did this man deserve my sacrifice?

A tremor shook through my body, a physical personification of the inner strife I was feeling. The goggles tipped over my head and fell down over my nose. They collided with the _hitai-ate_ with a dull clang. His goggles.

_I promised..._

Biting down hard enough on my lips to draw blood, I thought, _Those who break the rules, are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum._

But which comrade did I abandon? If I believed in Obito, was I forsaking the rest of my loved ones? Or perhaps... perhaps... maybe... just maybe...

_... I could believe in Obito without abandoning them?_

Was that too much to hope for? Did I dare tempt fate and wish for that?

Could I?

Even if I did believe in Obito – what then? What could I do, or say, to save this broken man from his darkness? Darkness that he did not inflict on himself, but was forced upon him by a vile man.

What did it take?

_What did I have to sacrifice?_

Suddenly arms were wrapped around me, and I gasped as I was pulled up. Yagura held me close and we were soaring through the air. I could only stare with wide eyes as Killer Bee – in his Hachibi form – caught us in his hands and enclosed his hands around us. Darkness enveloped us.

"The supplies," I protested weakly.

"Leave them. It's going to take longer than we thought it would to detain these, and I do not think that Tobi will just allow us to seal them," Yagura said thinly. Suddenly, I got the vague motion that we were spinning and I stumbled. Yagura gripped my arms, keeping me close. "Killer Bee is leveling the field."

Disoriented and feeling a little motion sick, I only nodded into Yagura's chest. When we stopped moving, Killer Bee lifted his hands up and I stared in astonishment at the change in environment. What had once been a pride and tall forest, was now nothing more than a desolate wasteland.

And there, in front of us, stood the rest of the bijū. All of them, save the Ichibi. Yagura pulled me behind him and said, "This fight is going to be on a whole other scale, Nao. You and I will be focused on detaining the Nibi and Gobi. Don't worry about the others."

"H-Hai," I said. "Which plan?"

Yagura gave a short sigh. "Both of your kekkai genkais are useless in this fight, so we'll have to use a combination of your Tōketsu-Raiton and my Suiton ninjutsu, and some genjutsu."

"Genjutsu? But – "

"Isobu assures me that they are still susceptible, they just require more... familiar chakra," Yagura said simply. And suddenly red chakra erupted from him, cloaking him entirely. Three tails waved around as his figure slowly blurred out to a deep blood-red scarlet. " **I'll have to use this chakra. I'll capture the Nibi in a genjutsu, and while they're preoccupied we'll take out the Gobi.** "

"But how will we take out the Gobi?"

" **Follow my lead. We're out of time discussing this,** " Yagura responded. He gripped my hand, pulling me towards him and then his arms were underneath me. He leapt up, fast and hard, from the Hachibi's hands. Through the corner of my eye, I could see a dash of gold—Naruto—running towards the Nanabi.

We soared through the air, and thoughts and plans raced through my mind. How did one take down a _bijū_? Such a thing was usually accomplished by a _Kage_. I was only a Jōnin. However, I would be working with an ex-Kage, so perhaps it would be enough. He said I would need to use my Tōketsu-Raiton, but in what manner?

Perhaps...?

Oh.

 _Oh_.

"I get it," I said quietly, my eyes lighting up. It was good to focus on a fight. Draw my attention away from the problem that was Obito. One thing at a time. Detain the bijū, first. Then deal with the fallen man.

Yagura smirked at me. " **I knew you would.** "

We crashed into the ground, digging a crater into it. Yagura dropped me, beginning to rapidly move his hands through seals to perform the genjutsu. I dropped down to my feet and ducked away from him. I began sprinting towards the Nibi – the one that Yagura was ensnaring in the genjutsu. The jutsu would last, possibly, a minute. So long as the other bijū and Obito stayed away from it (and thus did not break it out of the illusion), that was.

Plenty of time.

During my travels with Yagura, he not only helped me perfect my jutsu, he also improved my fūinjutsu. He told me that should he ever lose control of himself when drawing upon the bijū energy, I would need to know how to hold him.

How to _seal_ him, so to speak.

My hands glowed white and behind me, I could hear Yagura engaging in the Gobi. The Nibi stood stock-still in front of me, unmoving and unseeing.

He taught me all the arrays and drawings to push the demonic energy back into the host.

However... he taught me how to do so... _without the use of sealing ink and a brush._

My finger traced the first of the arrays in the ground, leaving behind a thick, solid, line of ice. The moment one of the arrays was done, I dashed away to the east, preparing to draw the next one. One array in each of the directions.

I couldn't perform this with _any_ sealing, of course. Sealing required a perfect balance of chakra, anchor and intent. In most cases, the sealing ink and paper were the anchor. They were pure, not mixed materials. By using my chakra-created ice, I was adding an unnecessary balance to the equation. In order to compensate, I had to redirect that in balance by adding in my components to the seal.

The suppression sealing of a bijū was already a complex and long thing. In most cases, it required _months_ of preparation.

Yagura realized that should he have lose control, it would be in a situation that probably meant those months of planning would be for naught. He knew this the moment he received the bijū, and from that moment he began to study with a frantic vigor on how to prevent him from losing control. And, should he ever lose control, _on how to stop him_.

Yagura could write the kanji and arrays with just his chakra scorching into the air. I was not so skilled, and had to use my chakra to literally write on the ground. Ever still, because of the unbalance of chakra, we had to adjust the seals accordingly.

Like I mentioned earlier, by adding new components to the seal. Most of these components were just added handseals in the technique. But, considering how it was _already_ thirty-two handseals long, adding more was rather bothersome.

For me, I had to add seven. Yagura, due to the fact that he didn't need to convert his chakra into any one nature, only had to add three.

With the third seal drawn, I flickered over to the last corner.

An explosion erupted behind me and I slammed my finger to the ground, quickly drawing the last of the seal.

Then, I clapped my hands together and began to the ridiculously long sequence of handseals.

As I went through them, though, the Nibi seemed to have broken free of the genjutsu. The cat-like creature snarled at me, raising a paw. I leapt back from it, still continuing the handseals.

Suddenly Yagura punched the beast's muzzle, knocking it back. He landed beside me, his three tails waving about. " **How many more?** "

"Ten," I said. "Five. One."

I clapped my hands together and the seals lit up. A white light connected each of the kanji, creating a box around the Nibi. The Nibi howled, but the white light bloomed to life, flying up into the sky and leaving behind a sort of glass-like wall to box the Nibi in. The walls began to slowly enclose on the creature, and as it moved further, I could feel the immense chakra drain on me.

It was like all my strength and energy was being sucked out of me. My knees wobbled and Yagura wrapped an arm around my waist to keep me from hitting the ground. My hands fell apart, and I panted heavily. As the walls touched the Nibi, the creature yowled with pain. The walls began to forcibly push the demonic chakra back into the host.

"Wh-Where's the Gobi?" I asked, heaving. Yagura silently offered me a couple soldier pills and I took them gladly. Within seconds, I could feel my strength being returned.

" **Already sealed,** " Yagura said. " **Well, it was re-sealed back into the jinchūriki before Tobi brought it back into the damn statue.** "

Just as the Nibi was nearly done being sealed, I felt an _immense_ pressure push down me. My head snapped around and there, shining with golden light, was Naruto.

In the form of the Kyūbi.

"Wh-What?"

" **Good. He's done talking with him,** " Yagura said.

"What? Did I m-miss something...?"

" **It's a jinchūriki thing,** " Yagura said simply. " **When the war is over, I'll explain everything, but for now, focus on the battle.** "

Trusting his words, I merely nodded my head. The Nibi was forced back inside its jinchūriki. Before either of us could make another step towards it, purple chains erupted from the statue that Obito had summoned, and yanked the woman back inside.

"I suppose if you're able to just seal away my bijū like that, there's no point in them remaining like this," Obito muttered. Naruto growled.

"Hey! They have names, you know," Naruto shouted. "They aren't just tools."

 _And we couldn't just seal_ all _of them,_ I thought. _Yagura's technique only allows bijū up to the Gobi to be sealed._ Then I pursed my lips. _Wait, how does Naruto know they have names...? I was only distracted for_ two minutes _. How could so much have happened for_ two minutes _?_

_Okay, well, I guess I was technically distracted longer than two minutes if you count the time I was drawing the seals, but seriously._

At my doubled confused look, Yagura reiterated, " **Jinchūriki thing. Don't worry about it.** "

Seeing how I was, apparently, the only non-jinchūriki in the group (not counting Obito), I could only sigh and nod my head.

"Perhaps I should just..." Obito trailed off thoughtfully, "send them all out at once."

The remaining bijū all formed a close circle and lifted their heads up. In the center of the circle, a black ball of _heavy_ chakra was being formed. It condensed and hardened, and I felt a knot form in the pit of my stomach looking at it. Naruto, in his Kyūbi form just lifted his head back. "Oi! Yagura, Bee, we'll have to hit their Bijū-Bomb with one of our own to deflect it."

" **I know** ," Yagura said, then he began to grow. In seconds, the form of Yagura was replaced with the Sanbi. Naruto, in the head of the golden Kyūbi, raised his arms. Killer Bee, still in the Hachibi form, also lifted his head. The three of them began to form their own heavy chakra sphere.

Obito's bijū launched theirs first, but our side wasn't far behind. The two power-house moves collided into each other, pushing against each other, before being launched into the air. I watched, my breath caught, as the sky exploded in a fiery light.

 _If that bomb had gone off... it would have been enough to destroy a mountain,_ I thought faintly, feeling completely overwhelmed. _Can I really be in such an intense battle?_

"Looks like we joined just when the party was getting started."

I whirled around, and found Kakashi and Gai behind us.

"'Bout time you showed up," Naruto called out. "But you're a bit too late, sensei! We'll handle these bijū."

"Oh?" Kakashi inquired, his tone holding a light amusement to it. "Well, if you insist..."

"No, my Eternal Rival! We must assist these youthful – "

"I think, perhaps, we should place some trust in our comrades," I said carefully, still a little dazed at the fact that a single one of those moves could flatten _Konoha_.

The second the explosion took to the sky, Naruto in his golden Kyūbi form, charged forward. Arms extended out of the form and he engaged himself in a struggle with the other bijū. From this distance, I could scarcely make anything out in the golden light. It wasn't long, though, that the golden chakra evaporated and he fell back to the ground. In the same instant, though, chains erupted from the statue and pulled the bijū back inside.

As Naruto fell to the ground, I could scarcely make out black rods falling to the ground with him.

"Naruto, something happened," Obito said, clear annoyance in his tone. "How did you know about the rods controlling them? How did you know where each of them were, and...?"

"They told me," Naruto said, grinning cheekily. "Now can you be quiet for a moment? I just learned a bunch of really hard names and I need a second to make sure I got 'em all."

Obito raised a single hand, forming part of the tiger seal. "No matter. It's over. Night has fallen and it's time to begin my plan."

The statue then let out a painful scream, dropping down to its knees and clutching its head. A sudden lightness enveloped the area, as gravity seemed to shift. Rocks and debris started to float up in the air, rising to the sky. Some hovered, completely still, in the air. I felt lighter.

Yagura shifted out of his beast form, picking up his discarded staff.

Naruto folded his arms across his chest. "That's not going to happen. I'm going to be Hokage, you see, so I can't let you take over the world!"

That golden, warm, chakra set Naruto ablaze and he leapt towards the statue. Obito gripped his gunbai and threw it up to intercept Naruto's charging Rasengan. The Rasengan slammed against the gunbai, causing it to explode in Naruto's hand. Naruto was sent flying back and I leapt up into the air to catch him.

My hands caught his own hand and I pulled him down to a nearby floating rock with me. The statue screamed again, and my brow furrowed. "What's that thing doing?"

"It's the Jūbi," Naruto explained to me. "The other bijū told me – we gotta stop it before it finishes the transformation."

"That statue absorbed the other bijū," I uttered, realization dawning on my face, "so it would make sense... Transformation, you say? Does it have stages?"

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno. We just gotta stop it – fast."

"Got it."

Naruto smirked. "But, it seems like we gotta crack this Tobi guy's mask first, huh? Not a problem."

I smiled weakly at that. "Yeah... Not a problem."

"You will not touch this statue," Obito declared, as the statue roared in pain again. Spikes started to grow out of it, and its eyes began to bleed.

Naruto summoned a clone, and Kakashi shouted up at us, "Nao, Naruto, you know his abilities, right? Your moment to strike is right before he tries to teleport – that's when he's solid. If you attack him normally, you'll just pass right through him."

Gai nodded his head. "Create an opportunity through continuous close combat – don't give in. Avoid using big moves."

"We know," Naruto shouted, and he and his clone jumped down. Another form of the Rasengan started to take shape in his right hand. "Nao – do you think you can use your kekkei genkai on him?"

No.

"I can try," I offered, "but my kekkai genkai needs to target something solid. If I overextend it and use it when he isn't solid, I'll just add an unnecessary strain. When he's teleporting, I'll see if I can target him."

"Aa! Thanks!"

Yagura started to dash forward, running alongside Naruto in the charge against Obito. I didn't see what Kakashi was doing (as he was in my blind spot), but my attention was entirely focused on Obito. If I engaged in close-combat, as well, then the odds of our attacks being properly coordinated dwindled. Gai was enough of a taijutsu master to adjust his close-combat to match Yagura and Naruto's styles.

Yagura was experienced enough to also adjust his style to compliment Naruto's. And while I was trained to work well with Naruto _or_ Yagura, that was just it. _Or_. One or the other. If I joined in the close combat fray, then it would add unnecessary chaos into the equation.

It would be best if I remained focused on Obito and looked for opportunities to grab him and hold him still.

Which, knowing that he _knew_ that was what I would be doing, would make things a bit harder.

Naruto was the first to reach him. His clone phased through him, and Obito swung his gunbai hard against that Naruto's stomach. It dispersed upon contact, and the real Naruto swung his right arm forward. His arm extended (or appeared to have extended, but in actuality it was just his golden chakra being thrown about in the form of an arm) and passed through Obito's middle region.

Obito, Naruto's arm still through his stomach, dashed towards Naruto. He leapt up at him, his arm extended as if to grab him, but in that instant Yagura swung his staff. Obito was forced to become intangible, again, and the staff phased through him. He continued to pass through Naruto and Gai propelled his nun chucks through Obito's head.

When Obito was completely through Naruto, he turned on his heel to face Yagura and Gai as the two worked tightly together in a fast fury of close-combat taijutsu. Between Yagura's staff and Gai's nun chucks, the two experienced shinobi gave Obito no opportunity to counter-attack. He was completely intangible throughout the bout, until he succesffully disengaged and threw several kunai with paper-bombs attached to them.

Naruto, Yagura and Gai lunged for him – as he was still in midair.

When Obito's head snapped, and I followed his gaze. The statue's head was being distorted – as if being sucked away into a different reality. I immediately recognized the technique as _Kamui_ , Kakashi's Mangekyo Sharingan's technique.

Obito swung his gunbai in between two rocks and yanked him out of their path, his gaze still on the statue. Realizing this was my opportunity, my chakra lashed out and darted towards Obito.

The statue's head stopped being disoriented, snapping back into place the second my chakra wrapped around Obito. "I've got him!"

"How naïve," Obito said softly. "You should know better, Nao. Your technique bounds the physical – something I can bring in and out of this world at will. _That won't work on me_."

And suddenly, I couldn't feel part of him anymore. My chakra, which I had only moments ago felt around him, suddenly couldn't find him. He was gone, out of my control.

 _You should know better than to underestimate me, Obito-ue_.

And in that instant, Obito was stock still.

_My technique doesn't have to be limited to the physical. I can take hold of your chakra, too!_

My head throbbed at the extra strain. Grabbing at chakra was undoubtedly the trickiest things I had used my technique for. However, if I kept his chakra still, he wouldn't be able to draw upon it.

On the downside, he could fight me easier. It wouldn't be any different than breaking out of a genjutsu – he merely had to disrupt his chakra to break my hold. Despite that, it wouldn't be so easy. In order to disrupt his chakra, he would have to break _my_ will to control it.

The pain pierced through my brow, but I refused to budge.

"Nice!" Naruto crowded, kicking off from the ground and leaping towards Obito.

White hot needles seared my vision and I let out a gasp, dropping to my knees. He was fighting back, and each struggle and resistance he provide was translated as physical pain back to me. Gritting my teeth, I held on.

I had to. Yagura and Gai were close behind, flanking Naruto. Naruto's Rasengan came to life as he neared Obito. I was clutching my head at this point, my eyes closed, as I was unable to bring myself to focus on _anything,_ but holding Obito.

"Now let's see what's behind that stupid mask of yours!"

Lava poured through my veins, and my chakra raged inside of me.

I could hear a ringing sound in the back of my head, but more importantly I heard the familiar explosion of the Rasengan, and...

... _and the sound of a mask breaking_.

My concentration was lost, and the rocks around us started to fall to the ground, including the one I was on. Yet, I was unable to move due to the heavy wave of pressure I felt in my head. Millions of tons of sand was being poured inside my head, kicking up sandstorms and grinding against my brain. I bit down too hard my bottom lip to keep from crying, causing it to bleed profusely, and I curled up on myself.

As the rock fell, I could do little else, but fall with it.

Then suddenly a hand gripped the back of collar and I was yanked up into the air. My eyes were still screwed shut in pain, but I could sense no malice or killer intent from whoever grabbed me. I could only vaguely tell they were familiar, and that they were annoyed.

"Get away from her!" I could year a familiar voice snarl—Yagura?

"It can't be..." Kakashi whispered, his voice carrying across the ringing silence of the field. "No... not you..."

"You're... you're the one she always visited....!"

The person who caught me, set me down on the ground, still grabbing the back of my collar. "I suppose it doesn't matter now. I got what I wanted—this war. It doesn't matter if they know..."

Evening out my breathing, I finally opened my eyes and looked up at my savior.

Obito stared down at me, a Rinnegan in his left eye, and a Sharingan in his right eye. "But I can't believe you didn't tell them, Nao."

"Get your hands off her!" Naruto growled.

Obito moved his hand to place it roughly on top of my head, his fingers pushing the goggles over my head. "Take another step closer to us, and I will snap her neck."

A thrill of adrenaline ran through me, momentarily replacing the pain I had felt in my head. I was on my knees, my fingers curling into the ground, and I stared up at Obito.

My voice was soft. "Obito-ue..."

"Shut up," Obito said plainly. "I don't want to hear from you. Just don't speak. Well, Naruto? Hand over your Kyūbi, and your friend will be returned to you. Unless you _want_ her to die?"

Naruto's brow was furrowed and he was giving Obito a pained look. "I don't... I don't understand. I saw... I saw that picture of you, with Kakashi-sensei, and that Rin girl. Nao... Nao visited your grave so often, and those goggles... she really cares about you, and..."

"That doesn't matter," Obito snapped. "Your time is running out. And Nao, don't even _think_ about teleporting. I _will_ move faster than you."

I reached up a hand and placed it on top of Obito's. "You won't."

He tightened his grip. "Don't test me."

 _You could have killed me, so many times before. You could have taken me away. You could have eliminated the threat,_ but you chose not to.

_And I'm betting you won't again._

"The one girl he can't kill," I muttered, recalling Kisame's words, and tightening my grip on Obito's hand.

"Obito... it can't be..." Kakashi trailed off, looking completely devastated and lost.

I lifted Obito's hand off my head, and I watched as Obito glowered darkly at me. I shakily stood up, still holding his hand and looking up at him. "Obito-ue, this isn't you..."

"You know that's not true," he growled. "Don't test me, Nao. _I will kill you_."

I didn't believe that.

I opened my mouth to respond, but then the ground beneath us erupted and arms were wrapped around me, pulling me away. Obito leapt back, his expression conveying dark fury as he glared at the person who pulled me away. I recognized the chakra to be Yagura's, and with ease, Yagura leapt back until we were reunited with Naruto, Kakashi, and Gai.

Swatting Yagura's arms away from me, I glowered at him. "What was that for? I was perfectly fine."

"You were not," Yagura snapped. "What the _hell_ is going on?!"

"He's... he's..."

"It doesn't matter," Kakashi cut in, looking suddenly _decades_ older. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that he is our enemy now, and we will treat him accordingly."

"I – "

"Do _not_ protest," Yagura hissed. "We _will_ be talking about this when the war is over."

"Then let me fight him," I said quickly. "He won't kill me – "

"Neither will he kill Naruto, or Bee. He wants to capture them, and I'm assuming he'll want to capture you. It doesn't matter, you're not fighting him alone," Kakashi snapped. "Don't argue. We need to work together now to eliminate him."

My heart ached (and my head, but it was easier to ignore this time), and again I felt those conflicting emotions. "I... you're... right. We... we have to stop him. _We_ need to capture him."

Kakashi relaxed at my agreement. "... Yeah. Capture..."

"I still don't get it," Naruto admitted, "but I'm not about to let my best friend's idol let himself get killed (again), so..."

" **You're wide open!** " All eyes snapped up as Bee leapt forward towards the statue, swinging the Hachibi's fist towards it.

"Don't underestimate me," Obito snarled, slamming his palm into the ground. A wall of red fire surrounded the statue, just as Bee's fist slammed against it. The jinchūriki immediately howled in pain, swinging his fist around.

Gai _tsked_. "Now he's erected a barrier. We really _will_ have to deal with him first, before we can take out that statue."

And then an explosion went off beside Obito. My only working eye widened in disbelief, as the dust settled down, to find that _the_ Uchiha Madara was beside Obito. Naruto had told us what was transpiring on the other battlegrounds – he had sent out numerous clones to help our friends across the war, and when each clone popped he relayed the good news.

Uchiha Madara was supposed to have been fighting the five Kage.

The _only_ reason he was here was if he had _fled_... or taken care of our Kage.

That thought was not the only reason my stomach dropped at seeing Madara. A sort of anger had settled over me at seeing him, and in the back of my head whispers of _he's the one to blame / it's his fault Obito is like this_ chanted.

Obito glanced at Madara, unamused. "It's just like you to have defied the Edo-Tensei."

Madara folded his arms across his chest. "More importantly, what's taking so long?"

Naruto stepped forward, his golden chakra flaring up in anger. "Why? Why is _that_ Madara over here? What's happened to everyone over there? _What did you do to Obaa-chan?!_ "

Madara ignored Naruto in favor of muttering, "That one's a shadow clone. Where's the real one, Obito...?"

" _I asked you what happened!_ " Naruto's chakra flared violently, the force enough to have us take several steps away from him. Madara just stared at him, his expression conveying nothing, but unimpressed apathy.

"I'm not sure," he drawled, "but I suspect... they aren't doing too good."

Obito unhooked his gunbai from its chain and tossed it to Madara. Madara gripped it with ease as Obito said, "I'll return this to you, now."

That statue howled again, drawing Madara's attention to it. A flicker of anger crossed his face, before it was smoothed out. "Obito, did you launch the plan hazardously, before you even collected the Kyūbi, Sanbi, _and_ Hachibi? You were hasty, Obito. Is that why I was revived in this form? Well, knowing you... I'm sure you have something in mind." Madara turned away from us, dismissing us, to continue questioning Obito. "What have you been up to all this time? Where's Nagato? You were supposed to determine the appropriate time and bring me back with Rinne-Rebrith. That was the agreement."

_Rinne-Rebirth... that was what Nagato had used to bring back Konoha...?_

Naruto growled, "You tried to take advantage of Nagato?!"

"He betrayed us," Obito answered. "He used the jutsu to revive Konoha's villagers."

Madara turned away from Obito, chiding him, "I can't depend on any of you. Well, no matter. It's still not too late. I'll capture the Hachibi and Kyūbi."

"Dead men shouldn't go around messing things up," Naruto shouted, flickering towards Madara with a black Rasengan formed in his right hand. Madara raised his gunbai up and blocked the attack, but the two forces met with enough energy to cause a mini explosion. I raised my arms in front of me to shield my face from the flying debris and bright light that came with the impact.

However, the explosion was not like the Rasengan's explosion. It was merely the force of the two energies meeting, and when I lowered my arms, I could see Naruto's confused look at that. Madara leaned forward, pressing his gunbai against Naruto's outstretched hand. " _Uchiha Reflection._ "

His gunbai glowed and Naruto was sent reeling backwards. Madara gripped his gunbai tightly. "I'll take care of the Hachibi, Sanbi and Kyūbi. Obito, you take care of those three. Madara leapt up into the air, disappearing from my vision as I focused on Obito.

Obito flickered towards me, and I scarcely had time to block his outstretched hand. His Sharingan's tomoe whirled and he said, "Don't fight this. It's pointless."

Kakashi was at our side in that instant, swinging down a kunai and forcing Obito to leap back. Kakashi stared at Obito, his brow furrowed. "Why... Why are you allying yourself with Madara, Obito?"

"I've got nothing to say to you," Obito muttered. "All that's left... is this final battle." He then swung his arm down and several shurikan came flying at us at high velocity. Kakashi quickly slammed his hand into the ground, summoning a rock wall between us and the shurikan.

My hands glowed white as I formed my Tōketsu-Raiton and morphed it into a katana, knowing Obito would soon be here. As predicted, Obito walked right through the wall and I charged at him, raising my katana. It passed through Obito and he deftly went around me, diving towards the fatigued Kakashi. I turned on my heel, but then a sharp spike of exhaustion had my head spinning and I lost my balance.

_Damn – soldier pill – wearing off –_

Stumbling, and seeing double, I shook my head to clear my vision. Obito gripped a massive shuriken and dug it into Kakashi's knee. Kakashi reached out a hand and grabbed Obito's oncoming fist. "Why?"

"How about shutting up already?" Obito asked. "You're only talk. You're nothing, but a piece of trash."

I faltered, but continued to run towards Obito. Obito threw Kakashi away, ripping out his shuriken and blocked my jutsu. The shuriken froze upon impact, and I forced more of my chakra inside the jutsu. It hummed and glowed more brightly, before the frozen part of the shuriken shattered into dust.

Obito's eyes narrowed. "Why are you wasting your breath for this piece of scum?"

"H-He's my comrade," I gritted out, doing my damndest to ignore the exhaustion that pressed on me. My head was still throbbing from holding Obito earlier, and everyone knew that after using a soldier pill (and said pill wearing off), it only magnified the fatigue. "I won't abandon him."

"You'd be doing him, and the world a favor," Obito hissed, before his hand snapped out. I barely had time to dodge beneath it. Then Obito let go of his shuriken and reached for me with his free hand. His tomoe spun in his right eye. "Just stay in my world... stay out of this fight... and just... _submit_."

I could feel myself being physically pulled into that eye, and my heart faltered. Then suddenly I was being shoved out of the way, and Kakashi was being sucked into Obito's eye. Within seconds, Kakashi was completely sucked in. "Sensei!"

Obito glowered at the sky. "... Fine. I'll deal with _him_ first."

"No! Obito... Your fight is with me right now," I said, shakily standing up. "You... this isn't you, Obito."

Obito sneered. "Did your _ability_ tell you that?"

"No," I said, shaking my head vehemently. " _You did_. You were there, watching me, all that time. You listened to me. You _laughed_ with me. Obito, I know you're my friend—you're my comrade, and I'm yours. I-I know you're in pain—"

"What could you _possibly_ understand about my pain?" Obito demanded. "You've never lost someone. Don't you _dare_ try to sympathize with me, Ri- _Nao_. Don't you see? This world is lost. You say that this isn't me, but it is. This world created me, shaped me into what I am."

I shook my head again, more firmly this time. A cold stone dropped down into the pit of my stomach, and I felt the onslaught of emotions start to burn inside me. "This world can cause a lot of hurt, I know, but it c-can cause a lot of beauty. There's more to this world than just pain, you know that, Obito. _I know you know that_. Why did you give up? Why d-did you abandon us? Why did you choose to forsake this world before you really got to know it?"

"I know plenty about it! I know more than you could possibly know. This is the kind of world that sent brothers to fight each other. This is the kind of world were children are orphaned. This is the kind of world were promises can _never_ be kept. What _good_ could come out of a world like that?!"

"Love," I shouted, tears of frustration and hurt pricking at my eyes, but not daring to spill over. "I love my sister. I love my friends. I love my family. Even if we die today, even if our goodbyes are final I will _never_ regret loving them. I will never regret our memories together. If the world is so bad, then why is there still love? If the world was as h-hopeless as you seem to think it is—then why didn't you kill me at your grave?"

Obito looked mutinous. "Love is what causes pain. Love isn't anything more than a knife—a _tool_ —for this world to use to cut out someone's heart."

"You don't believe that," I argued. "Do you regret loving Rin, then? Do you wish you never had?!"

Obito met my demands with stony silence. My hands curled into fists and I took a shaky step towards him. "No. You don't. We both know that. You're in pain, I get that, but it's not too late. Obito, I... I believe in this world. I know it can cause hurt, and I know life isn't easy, but..."

I thought of that fake world _it_ had brought me, and I closed my eyes for a second before re-opening them. I met his gaze firmly, but my stomach still heaved that cold stone around in it. "... but it's _our_ life. An illusion is just that—an illusion. E-Even if your plan works, it'll never fix this world. It'll be nothing more than a dream. You might as well just lay down and sleep! You can't regret your love for Rin, so y-you can't regret your pain, either. You don't get to choose one or the other. To love someone, means you have to be prepared to face that pain that their love can bring. You won't stop loving her, and you won't regret that, s-so you have to be able to accept the grief that comes with it."

"Are you prepared to accept that?" Obito asked, his voice deadly soft.

"I am," I swore. "Obito... I.... You can't regret your actions now, it's too late for that. The past... the past is the past, you can't let it swallow you up. You can't let this darkness, and this pain, and misery warp you, anymore. That's not who you are! And, I... I can't... I can't _bear_ to see you like this. Please, Obito – "

"I'm not caught in the past!" Obito denied. "I'm looking to the future, and all I see is a hopeless situation. It's pointless to stay in this world any longer."

My voice was cracking now. "It isn't. You're just too caught up in your pain to see that! Your vision is twisted and corrupt, but it doesn't have to be like that. This is _our_ life, Obito. Our mistakes and our regrets define us. We can't be caught in the past, in the _what ifs_ , or else they will consume us. I know, Obito. Oh, _Kami_ , I know all too well. This is our life, and we have to keep moving forward. We have to keep looking to the future, and we have to keep believing."

" _Why?!_ "

"Because that's the only way to be happy! That's the only way to get stronger and protect our precious people. It's the only way to help forge a better life for ourselves and our loved ones. Obito, please... _please_... don't do this. It's not too late, I believe in this world and I believe in _you_. You and I both know this plan won't bring her back, and won't undo the mistakes we've made. If you really loved her, then accept that she's gone and _honor_ her sacrifice," I pleaded. "Please stop this, Obito. I can't... I can't..."

Obito shook his head. "Don't speak of things you know nothing about. When you have lost what you hold dearest, when you have held their corpses in your arms, _then_ you can argue with me on this. Your words fall on deaf ears, R-Nao."

"Then why haven't you stopped me?"

He looked thunderstruck and took a step back from me. "... I was merely... curious..."

" _Liar_ ," I accused. "You _want_ this to end. You want to be done with this pain and misery. My words aren't falling on deaf ears—they're falling on stubborn ones. So answer me this, Obito: _why can't you kill me_?!"

His hands clenched into fists and he pursed his lips.

"Well?" I demanded, my eyes stinging. I was raising my voice, a turmoil of emotions rocking inside of me. "I'm looking at you, Obito! So why won't you answer me?!"

At my words, Obito looked horrified and confused, staring at me. Yet, it seemed like his eyes weren't really seeing me—like he saw something, or someone else in my place. "Rin..."

Then he screwed his eyes shut and sucked himself into his other world.

I stared in dumfoundment at where he once was.

And suddenly, the high-strung emotions, coupled with the physical exhaustion was too much. I feel to my knees, my hands digging to the dirt and I slammed my fist into the ground. Tears of frustration and anger at that stubborn man pricked my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I still felt betrayed at him—at his refusal and the fact that he had essentially run away from me—but most I felt furious with myself.

Was I really going to kid myself? Could I really save him?

Should I even try?

I had been so torn about it earlier (still was, actually), but the second I was left alone with him, I couldn't stop myself. I had no control over my words or actions. Raw emotions debated my every move, then, and I couldn't prevent myself from trying.

He was my comrade.

I wasn't going to abandon him.

Even if I have to break every damn bone in his stupid, stubborn body, _I was going to drag his ass home and outta that darkness_.

A loud explosion reminded me that this was not the time, nor place, to drop my guard. I had idiotically ignore my surroundings when I was fighting with Obito, but now that he was gone (with Kakashi, I presumed), I couldn't ignore it any longer.

Tiredly, I dragged my eyes over to my other comrades. Golden fire took over my vision and then Naruto was kneeling in front of me, pulling me back up. "Nao, are you okay?"

"I'm just tired," I said quietly. "I just need to take another pill."

Wearily, I pulled out the last soldier pill I could take before I overdosed, and popped it in my mouth. Naruto continued to grip my shoulders. "Where's Kakashi-sensei."

"With Obito." My voice cracked again. _Damn it._

He squeezed my shoulders.

I sensed them before I saw them. Kakashi appeared before us, panting and kneeling. He was clutching his eye and he looked a little worse for wear, and then Obito appeared beside Madara.

"How – " Naruto started, but Kakashi silenced him.

"We share the same eye, so we can teleport to and back from that world. Don't worry about our battle, Naruto—focus on Madara and taking out that statue—the barrier is almost gone."

A quick peek towards the barrier confirmed Kakashi's statements—it was starting to crack.

" **Way ahead of you**!" My eye snapped towards Yagura. He was on top of the Hachibi, cloaked in red with three tails waving about. Bee and him had their heads tilted back and they formed another one of those bombs. The real Naruto was beside them, taking the form of the golden Kyūbi and forming his own bomb. All three of them began to fuse together, and I winced at the sheer amount of _pressure_ exerted from the attacks. " **Well blast it to bits, before it gets a chance to attack.** "

The clone of Naruto that gripped my shoulders, pulled me over to Kakashi and grabbed both of us. "You might want to brace yourselves. This is going to be a big one."

_Each bomb is enough to flatten a mountain. That's three of them. All forced together._

_Thank God they're on our side._

The attack was launched at the barrier, as its cracks grew, and it landed with deadly accuracy. The explosion was loud and bright enough to have my ears ringing and eyes burning, and don't even get me started on the _force_ of it.

When the debris had finally settled, and I dared to lower my arms, I could no longer sense the statue's chakra.

But, when the smoke cleared, the statue was gone... and replaced with a monster with ten waving tails. It possessed a grotesque bulb-like body with spiky protrusions growing out of its back, and a wide, cavernous mouth with too many rows of pointed teeth to count. It had long arms and clawed hands, but I could see no legs. Dark veins pulsed around it, similar to those of the Ichibi.

It looked like something out of a horror movie.

A true monster.

"N-No way," I whispered. "I can't... I can't sense that things chakra _at all_."

It let out a high-pitched scream that had me wincing. Naruto shook his head, "But I thought that thing's evil chakra had disappeared. Damn it. They got us." Then Naruto cocked his head, as if he was listening to something, before his golden fire disappeared and he sat down. "Got it! So you said he was all natural energy, then I should go Sage Mode to check him out."

When he opened his eyes again, Sage Mode activated, he grimaced. "You're not kidding... he's a monster..."

"What...?"

"Kurama was just telling me how this thing can't be sensed. It doesn't have emotions or things of that like," Naruto said, "it's all natural energy. But, when I went into Sage Mode... let's just say this thing is _stupidly_ big in the chakra-reserves department."

My brow furrowed. "That's a lot, coming from you."

Without warning, the beast screamed and started crawling towards us. With each movement closer, it shook the earth beneath us. Naruto stood back up and said, "Yagura, cover these guys. Octopops, let's test this big guy out!"

"Don't order me around, brat," Yagura snapped, his bijū chakra dispersing as he landed beside Kakashi and me. Gai hopped down beside, as well. "But go ahead. I'll be able to get a better feel for him from watching you two engage him."

Naruto smirked at him.

" **Don't be stupid** ," growled a new voice—it came from the golden Kyūbi, so I could only assume it _was_ the Kyūbi... Kurama. " **We need to keep our distance and then we'll counter attack. Nao, Kakashi, Gai... get inside this construct of me. You'll be safest there. Yagura, I know Isobu doesn't have as much chakra as we do, so you need to conserve both of your chakras. Get inside.** "

Feeling a little apprehensive about hopping inside _anything_ , I nonetheless did as ordered. I leapt up into the golden chakra, my hand reaching out and grasping the real Naruto's. Kakashi and Gai entered not longer afterwards and I released Naruto's hand.

Yagura reluctantly entered the Kyūbi, his arms folded across his chest. "You're starting to act like a leader, Kurama."

" **Got a problem with that?!** "

Yagura smirked. "Nope. Saves me the headache. You're a lot more reasonable than the brat."

"Hey!" Naruto protested.

Kurama seemed to be smirking, as well. " **That's not saying much.** "

"Come on, I thought you were on my side," Naruto whined.

" **Shut up. Let's go.** "

Then Kurama and Bee charged towards the beast. With each move the beast made towards us, it kicked up so much dust and debris, it was like running through a sandstorm. Granted, from inside Kurama, everything was warm and golden, but still...

The Jūbi's hand lurched out from the cloud of debris, clawing at us. Kurama leapt back and away from it, and it screamed in annoyance. This had all transpired within a couple seconds, and then the beast started charging again. Kurama growled lowly before running towards it again. He jumped up, swinging his arms, but the Jūbi just knocked us aside. Before the Jūbi could completely knock him out, Naruto summoned a clone and he, and Kakashi leapt out of Kurama and into the air. In that instant, though, the Hachibi finished building up his bomb and swallowed it.

The Jūbi turned its single, massive, blood-red eye towards the bijū. Kurama built up a bomb, as well, then swallowed it.

Then the Hachibi and Kyūbi bellowed it out, " **Bijū-Bomb Barrage!** "

Dozens of red power-house bombs flew towards the beast. The Jūbi's mouth encaved on itself before re-opening and presenting a garish orange light. A high keening sound was heard before a giant laser beamed out of its mouth.

I couldn't sense any chakra from it, but it completely annihilated the Kyūbi and Hachibi's combined attacks, _and_ re-made the horizon.

Goodbye, mountains.

Hello flatlands.

Even though the laser had only grazed us, Kurama's tails were still sliced in half and the Hachibi was nowhere to be found.

I could barely make out Kakashi and Naruto falling towards the Jūbi, before Kakashi used his _Kamui_ to summon the Hachibi, and Yagura (beast-transformed) back into this world. They came out of his eye, a beast-bomb ready and dove straight for the Jūbi's eye.

The bombs were released, and just before they reached its eye, with a single finger it flicked the bombs back. I watched, horrified and worried, as each bomb slammed into each of the bijū. Yagura, as the Sanbi, was sent flying back and crashed hard into the ground, the Hachibi not far from him.

They laid motionless, but I could still sense their chakra. My heart twisted painfully with worry, but I didn't dare go to him. Kurama ran towards the falling Kakashi and caught him before running back to a safer distance, to Yagura and Bee. The Hachibi and Sanbi retreated back into Bee and Yagura, and Kurama did the same with Naruto.

When the Kyūbi had released us, I darted over to Yagura. He was panting heavily, and his front shirt was torn, but he was alive. He panted, "Relax, Nao. I just need to take a... pill."

Naruto made a _tsking_ sound, and my attention was drawn back to him. He turned around and faced Madara and Obito (who stood atop the Jūbi), his hands forming the ram seal.

"Your favorite Clone Jutsu?" Madara called, his voice carrying across the battleground with ease. "It may be a forbidden high-level ninjutsu, but just increasing the number of losers won't—"

"I'm not a loser," Naruto shouted back.

"Stop, Naruto," Kakashi said, helping Gai back up to his feet, while I did the same with Yagura. "It's meaningless to create clones that will divide your chakra even more so. They might be useful as diversions, but not for decisive hits. And if you go down, we lose this war."

Madara told us, "You were always just a motley crew anyway."

"Huh? M-M-Motely crew?" Naruto repeated, his face screwed up in confusion at the odd word.

"Like I said," Madara said flatly, "you're incompetent."

"He's saying that it's pointless to merely increase the number of heads if they're all empty," Obito explained. "You and I are both powerless shinobi. You... no, I should say everyone... will eventually end up like me."

Naruto glowered. "I'll never end up like you. How many times do I have to tell you?! My dream is to become the Hokage."

"Don't worry," Obito said easily. "Everything will go as planned. There is no shinobi jutsu mightier than the Infinite Tsukuyomi. I'll make you Hokage inside this jutsu. So..."

The Jūbi started gathering up energy for another one of those attacks.

"... just disappear from this world."

The laser went off, but it beamed right by us, blinding us and causing our ears to ring, but otherwise infecting us.

And suddenly we weren't alone. Shinobi, kunoichi, _platoons_ surrounded us. They slammed into the ground, and Ino was at my side in that instant. Her arms were thrown around me and she hugged me tightly. "Nao-chan!"

Tears of relief pricked at my eyes and I squeezed her tightly. "N-Nee-chan."

"Shh, hey now, it's okay," Ino whispered, kissing the top of my head. Not trusting my wobbly voice, I only nodded my head and buried my head in her chest. "Don't worry, Imouto. Your big sister's here and she'll take care of you, yeah?"

"M-Mn."

"Hello, Nao-chan," Sakura said, smiling warmly as she poked her head around from Ino. "May I heal you?"

"K-Kakashi-sensei, and Yagura need it more than I do," I said quickly. "Please see to him, immediately!"

"Maa, I'm fine, really," Kakashi chuckled, though it sounded strained. Sakura gave him an unamused look, ordering him to sit down so she could heal him. He complied with a sigh.

Yagura moved to stand beside us. "That last shot almost hit us, but missed. Was that your doing, Ino?"

Ino gave him a cheeky grin. "Yeah. Thanks to Hinata-chan, I was able to possess Obito and cause him to miss!"

"Hinata-chan?"

"I-I was able to use my Byakugan to guide Ino's shot," Hinata said quietly, shifting in sheepish embarrassment.

Naruto positively beamed at the girl. "Eh? That's so cool, Hinata-chan!"

"Hn. Good to see you're still alive, Dobe," Sasuke snorted, landing beside us. Itachi caught my eye (he stood close to Sasuke) and smiled at me. I immediately returned the smile with one of my own.

Relief gripped my heart, as I looked at the numerous familiar faces.

"Beetle-Jamming Jutsu!"

Swarms of beetles flew out of the platoons, diving up into the air. With it, the Kirigakure shinobi and kunoichi conjured a great mist to shield them.

_Between the beetles and the chakra-heavy mist, we can't be sensed by the enemies._

Naruto grinned, looking up at Madara and Obito, brimming with confidence. "And we're not a motley crew anymore. Here is the Allied Shinobi Forces no Jutsu. The world's greatest, most invincible, super ninjutsu, _you know_! A jutsu that trumps the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Remember that!"

"Isn't that a bit of a stretch?" Madara asked, clearly amused.

"We're going to stop you two with this jutsu," Naruto said, and I could hear Shikaku relaying instructions to everyone. I knew Papa was connecting everyone's mind to Shikaku—Shikamaru's dad, and Ino and mine's self-appointed uncle—back at HQ. I listened to Shikaku's instructions, then felt a grin crawl on my face at them.

Obito shook his head. "You're right. Why won't you realize that it's meaningless for you to stop us here? After this war, even this jutsu will disintegrate. Then someone from your side will attempt to do exactly what we're doing. There is no victory, no matter how much you struggle. Get it through your head. There's no such thing as hope anywhere in this world. _There's no good in this world._ "

"I don't care," Naruto said. "I'll make sure there _is_ good, and there _is_ hope."

"It's meaningless to argue whether there is or isn't something during a war," Madara sighed. "How about we settle this now?"

"When there's a difference of opinion, isn't the usual way majority rule?" Naruto asked. "So what do we do?"

"That's a good suggestion," Obito replied. "Then, we'll call it after we've erased all of you. And..."

"I knew you'd say that, but..."

"... this world will end!" / "... this world will not end!"

The shinobi alliance cheered and we scattered. I followed closely behind Naruto, Itachi and Sasuke at my side. The plan was simple enough. Kumogakure would blind the Jūbi, and the two men, with their lightning style attacks (while the beetles and mist, and wind continued to prevent them from sensing us). Then, Iwagakure would force the Jūbi into a pit, sinking it down far into the ground, followed by filling it with quicklime. Kirigakure would fill it with water, and Konohagakure would heat it up.

The second the beast was immobilized, the allied forces would leap into the pit and use every move possible to force Madara and Obito away from the beast (and thus preventing them from controlling it).

With this plan, without a second thought, I leapt into that pit.

As we leapt down into that pit, a sudden feeling of wrongness settled into the pit of my stomach, and then we were sent flying back. The Jūbi had freed itself in that instant and knocked us all out of that pit. I was sent careening away from the others and I crash landed into the ground, rolling and barely keeping myself from crying out at the sharp pain.

When I finally stopped rolling, I realized with a sinking feeling that I had, at the very least, fractured my hip from my improper landing.

I cringed, when realized that the soldier pill was wearing off, too.

Ino struggled to sit up, while I stared at the Jūbi. It was building up one of those deadly lasers, but this time, when it launched it, it took the shape of the bomb. It flew over our heads, off in the distance in an awkward manner.

Like it was uncoordinated.

Looking at it more closely, I could see it had undergone a sort of change. No longer was it bulb-like. Instead, it was too skinny for its proportions. It looked sickly and _wrong_. Like a cross between a stem from a plant and a human.

Unnatural.

It fired off another of those deadly bombs, and then a sudden hysteria gripped me. I groped out a hand and grabbed Ino's. My mind and chakra fluctuated as I immediately connected my mind to hers.

_Ino! Contact Papa – get everyone out of HQ. Now. Hurry!_

_What? What's going on, Nao?_ Ino turned to face me, her brow furrowed.

 _They're targeting HQ! Hurry! We can't let them know we're on to them._ My thoughts were bubbling over to panic. The memories were returning to me, resurfacing. I knew this battle would be the last time I ever remembered them, and I knew I had to make the most of what I could. _Hurry!_

_I'm contacting them now._

Papa was there. _Papa was there_.

My hand shook and Ino squeezed it. _They're leaving._

I let out a breath of relief.

Three more of those bombs went off, and on the fifth one, it met its mark. The building that once housed Papa and the others was gone.

"Th-That was where HQ was!" Naruto shouted. "Is anyone...?!"

"They got out alright. They scattered to better hide where they are, but Shikaku-ji is still with Chichi. He can relay instructions, still," Ino said quickly.

Shikamaru let out a sigh of relief, not too far from us.

The Iwagakure shinobi slammed their hands into the ground, and the beast was squashed between two half-spheres. It howled with annoyance, and then it wiggled one of its arms free. Its hand hardened into wood and then _thousands_ of wooden spikes flew out of it at us.

Everything seemed to drop into a slow motion. I shoved Ino, and Naruto away from me, pushing them as hard as I could to get them behind Itachi's Susano'o. His Susano'o's hand stretched out towards us and he caught them with ease.

I knew they would be safe with him, and I knew that Itachi's Susano'o would not have made it in time for me, given my broken bone, and the distance between us. Ino would have stayed, she would have tried to protect me, but I couldn't dare. I knew Naruto would have to, but Kakashi was right. Without Naruto, this war would have been lost.

I turned my gaze up to the wooden spikes, fearful, worried, and feeling stupidly brave at that moment.

And then my vision of them was blocked.

My only visible eye widened and my breath caught in my throat.

No.

The scent of blood overwhelmed my nose, and the sight of the spike sticking out from _his_ chest, had my stomach heaving.

 _No_.

He grimaced in pain, and fell to his knees as the spikes stopped coming.

I caught him. "Yagura..."

"Idiot," Yagura gasped, gritting his teeth.

Hysteria and fear bubbled over inside of me. I screamed, "Medic! _We need a medic!_ "

Then Naruto, Itachi, Sasuke, and Ino were at my side and I'm sure there others, but I didn't dare drag my eyes away from Yagura's face to see. My hands flew to his chest, and I didn't remove the spike, knowing better, and I pressed hard. "Stop... don't... don't you dare, _don't you dare leave me_."

My eyes were burning and Yagura's breathing was getting quieter. "... Don't... bother..."

"Shh, shh," I shushed, hating myself for allowing a couple tears to escape. "Don't be stupid. _Don't be stupid_. You aren't supposed to go... y-you aren't supposed to leave me like this. You promised. _You promised me_."

"Yagura," Naruto started, his eyes wide in disbelief. "You..."

"I'm an... idiot... too," he wheezed.

"Damn right," I whispered. "Now shut up, and... _Medic!_ Where the hell is that damn medic?!"

"Nao," Itachi said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "... Nao... there's nothing..."

"Shut up!" I snarled. "You don't... you don't know..."

Yagura gave an exaggerated eye-roll and he weakly started to raise one of his hands. I grasped it immediately, squeezing it. It was covered in blood the moment I touched it. I brought it up to my face, pressing it against my cheek, and biting my bottom lip.

My vision was blurring at this point. "Please... don't... don't leave me..."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, his eyes not straying from mine. "Little _hato_..."

His heart stopped beating below my right hand and I squeezed his hand with my left hand.

"Oh," was all I could say.

Yagura was dead.

I stared with blank eyes at him. The blood had stopped flowing, and his eyes held no life, staring up at the sky.

Itachi's hand fell away from my shoulder.

No.

_Once Kame was settled in his new clothes, he gave me a warm smile as we exited the village. "Thank you, Nao-chan."_

_I blushed at the boy. "I'm glad to have been of help, Kame-kun. Have any of your memories returned?"_

No.

"Do you see, Nao?" Obito was saying, his arms wide apart. His voice carried over the dead silence that had fallen across the battlefield. "Do you understand? Yagura _died_ protecting you, protecting this world, and for what...?"

_I reached for Kame, and gently brushed back the locks of hair from his eyes._

" _Are you... okay?" I asked, my voice quiet._

_Kame closed his eyes, letting out a long breath. "I will be...."_

Not you.

"For you to ultimately fail," Obito continued. "This world is rotten and decaying away. He died for nothing – his sacrifice was for _nothing_. The _only_ way you will ever see him again is if you stop this now. Stop fighting this. Stop resisting. Just submit to the Infinite Tsukuyomi. When you do, he'll be there, Nao. _He's there and waiting for you._

_Yagura eyed Ino for several moments before doing exactly that. She then deposited me in my sensei's lap, ignoring my horrified expression and Yagura's expression that was torn between indifference and annoyance. Ino giggled at us, and I felt the blood rush to my head, my heart hammering in my ears as I was torn between mortification and sheepish amusement._

" _There. You two look very cute," Ino observed, smiling at us._

_Yagura awarded her with a very dry look. "You're hilarious."_

Please, not you.

"Don't you want that?" Obito said, his voice softening. Then he raised his voice, hardening it. "Don't _all_ of you want that? Don't all of you have loved ones you want to see again? Family? Friends? Don't all of you have your regrets in this world... and don't you wish all of that could just... go... away?"

_Yagura eyed me for a moment. "You're so shy. You're like a bird, like a little dove."_

" _A hato?" I echoed._

_Yagura smiled at me. "Very much so, Hato."_

_My cheeks grew warmer._

My hands shook, my fingers stretching out as I reached out to him.

"Don't fight this," Obito declared. "This world is _hell_ and I am providing a way into _heaven_."

"Please," I whispered. "Not you..."

_Yagura placed a hand on top of my head. When I looked up, Yagura was awarding me with one of his rare, soft smiles._

I stopped listening.

It seemed wrong, somehow. That he would stop staring at me with _thoseeyeswhyisn'theblinking?_ and he would glare at me and scold me for looking so dazed on the battlefield. My hands dipped underneath his head and I lifted him from the ground, placing his head in my lap.

I brushed back some strands of hair, still staring at him with quiet detachment.

I knew I should be moving away by now. In ten minutes, Yagura's seal would be dissolved and the Sanbi would be free. It was dangerous to be here. I needed to move. Away. I had to get away.

Yet I couldn't bring myself to.

Yagura was dead.

" _Ah, but you know, it's almost a shame I'm not Kame. Because you see..."_

And it hit me.

Yagura was dead.

My breathing hitched, and it felt like a sharp blade pierced through my chest, cold and cruel. It seared into me, and my head pounded. A dark haze overtook my vision and my bottom lip trembled.

Yagura was dead.

 _Kame_ was dead.

Everyone and everything seemed quiet all around me - but that wasn't right, no, no, that wasn't right at all. All around the shinobi were fighting and people were yelling and loved ones were _dying_.

Dying.

My head bowed, and I rested my forehead against Yagura's, unable to keep back a choked cry.

They would keep dying... wouldn't they?

_The enemy can't be stopped like this_

Yagura... he died for nothing, didn't he?

_That can't be true; not for nothing_

A spark started in the pit of my stomach, the grief and pain magnifying it. A cold fury washed over me, causing me to grind my teeth and curl my fingers into fists. I looked up, my gaze dark, as the next onslaught of tears fell.

I hated them.

The undeniable hatred I felt for them at that moment was so strong, it left me speechless.

But it did not leave me frozen.

They would continue to die.

_So long as Madara lived._

My eyes closed and I set Yagura back on the ground, as gently as I could.

_So long as Madara was here._

I stood up slowly, ignoring the horrible pain that crawled across my hip.

_So long, so long, more would die and die._

I opened my eyes.

 _My chakra is gone. Spent and used up,_ I thought. _I am at my limit. I can't go on, at least... at least not like this._

Tears continued to fall, and a sob was caught in my chest. "Obito... _Uchiha Obito-ue_."

Obito's eyes was on me, unflinching, uncaring (no, no, that wasn't right – he cared, _he just didn't want to anymore_ ), unforgiving. I met his gaze with a pain-filled one of my own. "Obito-ue, I placed flowers at your grave every week. I talked to you every day. And you listened. You could have hurt me. You could have taken me. You could have killed me, _but you didn't_. You say this world is hell, but you don't really believe that. You don't even want to believe that. I know that. I know you're in pain – I understand, so very clearly."

My hands clenched into fists, and I unsteadily took a step towards him. "Obito-ue, I believe in that, and I believe in this world, and I believe in _you_. Even if you don't believe in yourself, know that I do. This hasn't changed. I know you care – care too much, maybe – and I know this isn't you."

I raised a hand and pointed my finger at Madara. " _This man_ has tricked you. This man has lied to you and twisted you. But, I believe... I believe... it's not too late."

With my other hand, I pulled off his goggles and held them up to him. My voice was cracking now. "They're broken. C-Cracked. I can't see straight out of them, but I'm going to keep hold of them 'til I die, because th-they're precious. Even if they don't work r-right anymore, th-they're still precious. Th-They're still loved. _I still believe in them_."

" _No," Yagura answered, shaking his head slowly. "I can't put my finger on it, but... but I have a feeling you're more attuned to your soul than most. I almost feel like..."_

_When he fell silent, I whispered, "Please continue, Sensei."_

_"... I almost feel like you're more spirit than you are physical," Yagura finally answered._

Obito's brow was furrowed and his expression flickered between confusion and something else entirely.

Something a bit more Obito-like, and lot less Tobi-like.

Pain.

I held the goggles close to me, and wiped away at the tears in my eyes. "But I know... I know these goggles c-can't work right i-if someone k-keeps breaking them."

Confusion dawned on his face, and Naruto's eyes widened.

Naruto realized what I was getting at.

Naruto, my best and first friend, realized what was about to happen. His eyes widened and he shook his head frantically, moving towards me. His voice was cracking, "No... No, don't..."

_They can handle the snake and the lost little boy_

I stepped forward, and away from Naruto's outstretched hand.

_The boy needs to learn and the snake needs to accept_

I began to run.

_And while the Leader could have learned, I am past forgiveness_

I sucked in a sharp breath, feeling my heartbeat inside of me. But, it wasn't alone, because I was more _there_ than _here_ , and I always had been. So long ago I knew this, but I wanted to live a life here so I suppressed and repressed every part of me. I wanted to cling to this body, to _live_.

It fluttered inside of me, small and delicate, but by no means weak.

" _... The spiritual energy inside of us... the energy we draw on is our very essence. Our very_ soul... _When you call on life-chakra, you are destroying your physical form..."_

And then I drew on it.

BurningburningbuRNING _OHITBURNSOMUCHWHYDOESITBU_ -

I held back a shriek, feeling the energy scream inside of me instead. It tore at me, feeling _strong_ and _wrong_ and _cold_ and _hot_ all at once. I dug my heels into the ground and my mind _snapped_ and in front of me there was _blackness_ because -

 _Rushrushrush_ of the waves rang in my ears and then -

Madara was in front of me, his eyes narrowing as I flew towards him. His blue armor came to life, but I didn't care, because the blackness was forming behind him, while I continued to fly.

I slammed into him, the force enough to knock him off his feet and into the blackness we flew.

We rolled for a while, before we stopped and he threw me off him, away.

"Idiot girl," Madara scolded, his eyes narrowed with unhidden disgust and annoyance. I shook, feeling the power slowly drain away from me. I struggled to stand up, looming above Madara. Madara, still kneeling, glanced around at the darkness. "What is this place?"

No, those goggles couldn't be fixed if they kept breaking.

And I believed in a future for _them_ ; for those I loved.

Even if I was not in that future.

The light from the otherworld slowly dimmed behind me as the portal began to close. I was teetering on the edge

I smiled at him, but it was by no means a happy smile.

"Your hell."

The portal closed.

I stopped breathing.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Naruto heaved a sigh. The war was over. Obito was unconscious. After he had used the Rinne-Rebirth, he had passed out. However... However he was too weak from having the Jūbi extracted from him to bring back _everyone_ , like Nagato had done with Konoha.

Naruto glanced around the battlefield with tired eyes.

After all... after all... Yagura was still lying still like a corpse and Nao...

Naruto didn't know where Nao was.

No.

He did.

He just didn't want to face it.

His hands clenched into fists and he stumbled forward. He was tired. Weary. His body had been pushed to its breaking point and he wasn't sure how much longer he could remain conscious.

"Naruto!"

Sasuke had flickered to his side, just as Naruto fell forward. Sasuke caught him, and Naruto ended up doing a sort of piggy-back on one of his two best friends back.

His breath hitched.

"Idiot. Don't overexert yourself anymore," Sasuke muttered.

 **Listen to your friend, brat,** Kurama growled from deep inside of Naruto.

Sasuke looked away, staring over at a cluster of shinobi and kunoichi. It was their class, the Rookie 9. They were surrounding a young woman, who had fallen to her knees. She was shaking, her head bowed and crying out in incoherent curses. Naruto closed his eyes, not wanting to hear Ino sobbing.

"She'll come back, won't she?"

Naruto opened his eyes at Sasuke's quiet question.

"Everyone saw her tackle into him and they disappeared in that... in that _place_ ," Sasuke said. He said _place_ with a tone of disgust. Naruto didn't blame him. He still remembered his brief trip in there. The panic... the fear... the _pain_...

It was a piece of hell.

" _I'm saying I can only use it once... maybe two more times," Nao said quietly. "I just... I just thought I'd give you a warning."_

_Yagura eyed her for a couple moments before he shrugged. "Alright. Does anyone else know about this, Nao?"_

" _Yeah. I told Nee-chan and Papa before I left because I couldn't find Kakashi-sensei," She admitted. "So those three should know."_

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, but found no words would come to him. Meanwhile, Sasuke continued to carry him to the group.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata greeted, her eyes round with worry. "It's Ino-chan... she seems to think that Nao-chan isn't returning. But that was her teleportation technique, right? She should just be able to leave Madara and return, right?"

Silence fell through the group, except Ino's sobbing.

"No."

All eyes widened and gasps were heard.

"No," Naruto whispered, his voice cracking, and he felt his eyes starting to burn and blur. "She's not... she's not coming back. That was her last time to being able to use it."

Ino's cries grew louder.

"She's dead."

Back in Konoha, a small bouquet of flowers rested at the stone. The last to be given to the stone by that girl again.

And the bluebells continued to decay away.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Inoichi held a small, private funeral for his youngest daughter. What was left of his, Shikaku's and Chouza's clan attended, along with many others. Konoha wanted to hold a special funeral for her - acknowledging her sacrifice in eliminating the most dangerous target, but Inoichi persuaded Tsunade not to. He knew that wasn't what she would have wanted.

Instead, he kept it small, and intimate, but allowed a few more strangers in. There was no body to bury, but that wasn't an uncommon thing. Instead, her name was carved into a white stone grave and placed among the family graves. Her name was, also, carved on the Memorial Stone - the stone she visited so much. It seemed wrong, somehow, if her name wasn't carved there.

Inoichi respected how she would not have wanted a large ceremony for her, but he refused to ignore the fact that she did, indeed, die as a hero and deserved a place among those heroes.

When the funeral was over, the grieving family and friends gathered at the Yamanaka Clan residence. Foods, drinks and stories were passed around.

Inoichi was in the middle of a story with Shikaku about Nao and Ino's first training session, when it landed on his shoulder. It was small and delicate, petite and white. He recognized it instantly as one of Nao's summons - one of the butterflies.

His lifelong friend also recognized it, and his brow furrowed in confusion. Carefully, apathetically, Inoichi held out a finger to the butterfly. It moved to rest on his finger before it presented a small seal, written on a piece of paper to him.

He took it slowly and released the seal.

A letter presented itself to him.

_Dear Papa,_

_Forgive me._

_You've always been so kind and supportive. Thank you for being my Papa. Thank you for raising me and loving me. I love you, Papa. I know this may seem short, but I have very little time left before I'm supposed to leave with Yagura and Naruto. Um... please give my stuffed animals to any nieces or nephews Ino ends up having. :)_

_Love,_

_Nao_

Inoichi stared at the letter for several seconds, not noticing that several more butterflies had entered the room and landed on different peoples' shoulders. His eyes were starting to burn, but he found he did not particularly care. There was a weight in his gut, and it tightened and lightened as he read.

They were her last words to him.

He would treasure them.

He could hear his other daughter bursting into sobs, clutching a piece of paper tightly to her chest, and he saw his wife moving to her - also holding her own paper.

_Dear Ino,_

_Forgive me._

_Thank you. I love you, Nee-chan. I really do. You've always been there for me and you've always comforted me and... please don't stop smiling. Please be happy. Please, please. I love your smile and I don't want you to ever stop smiling. I'm in a better place now, okay? So don't feel bad for me. Be strong and be happy... for both of us._

_Love,_

_Nao_

Ino covered her eyes and fell to her knees, silently shaking. It was not right, nor was it fair, for her baby sister to have died before her.

"You idiot," Ino whispered. Her mother fell beside her, pulling her last daughter close. Shikaku had moved to his son, as had Chouza, because both fathers noticed their sons were each holding a letter.

_Dear Shikamaru,_

_I'm sorry._

_You've always been so smart, and I've always admired that in you. You were an older brother to me for most of my childhood and continued to be there for me when I needed you. Thank you. I love you._

_Love,_

_Nao_

Shikamaru buried his hands in his pockets, knowing very well that he would be keeping that note close to him for the rest of his life. Part of him, some small part of him, was furious at himself - if he had been faster, _stronger_ , then this wouldn't have happened. If he had come up with a plan, then maybe, just maybe, his friend would still be here.

_Dear Chouji,_

_I'm sorry._

_You were so supportive, and so kind. Because you were shy, too, like me, I didn't feel so lonely. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you._

_Love,_

_Nao_

Chouji gave a strangled, choked cry, as he crumpled the note in his hands. His father placed a firm hand on his shoulder and squeezed it tightly.

_Dear Tenten,_

_I'm sorry._

_You were one of my first friends and you've been by my side since. You helped me train and supported me when I lost my eye. You're such a wonderful friend, don't ever change. Thank you._

_Love,_

_Nao_

Tenten buried her face in her hands, rocking steadily and promising herself she would not lose her composure in front of all these people, but after another moment passed, she just didn't care anymore and let loose a sob.

_Dear Hinata,_

_I'm sorry._

_You're one of the nicest people I know, I really admire that about you, you know? So please don't put yourself down. You're strong. I know you are. Please watch over Naruto, for me, okay? Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Thank you for everything you've done._

_Love,_

_Nao_

Hinata closed her eyes, silently crying and trembling minutely. "I promise, Nao-chan. I promise."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Naruto sat on the roof of the hideout that he, Sasuke and Nao had made. The place that he used to live in before the three of them had moved into Sasuke's home - well, Nao had technically lived with her family, but she spent so much time there it seemed like she had moved in with them. His arms were spread out on either side of him, and he clutched a picture.

Their picture.

Team Seven.

His heart thudded loudly in his chest, and Kurama wisely remained silent. Naruto wasn't sure what he felt. He just stared up at the sky, uncaring that his tears were not stopping. The stars were bright that night.

She would have liked that.

He rolled over onto his side, looking at the picture.

He remembered that day. It was a good day. Inoichi had promised to treat them to ramen if they behaved for their picture. Naruto had known it was just a bribe to make sure that he didn't do anything too crazy.

He still stuck his tongue out in the picture in defiance, but that had only made Nao get caught in a giggling fit. She couldn't stop laughing or hold still long enough for the picture, so Kakashi had to steady her. Her eyes were closed in the picture, and she was leaning heavily on Kakashi, clutching her stomach, with Naruto on her left side and Sasuke on her right. Sasuke was ignoring the cameraman, smirking at the scene instead, and Kakashi was just giving what looked to be a sheepish expression.

A small butterfly landed on Naruto's shoulder.

_~Naruto.~_

Naruto's eyes widened, and he jolted, immediately recognizing the voice. A wave of fierce grief hit him in the same instance, and he looked over at Shiori. She had fluttered off him in his movement, but then gracefully landed on his outstretched hand. She presented a seal to him. _~Nao-sama wished for me to give you this.~_

"Nao?" Naruto whispered. With unnerving speed, Naruto had released the letter inside and read it.

_Dear Naruto,_

_I'm sorry._

_I'm glad you were my first friend - you're one of my best friends and I'm glad to have met you. You're funny and nice, and you have such a big heart. You've always been so confident, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't envious of that confidence. Don't ever change, Naruto. Go on and become Hokage, okay?_

_Please take care of team seven._

_Love, Nao_

Last words.

Those were her last words.

Naruto just stared at letter blankly, feeling extremely disappointed. What had he hoped for? Proof that maybe she was still alive? That maybe... maybe she wasn't dead?

Naruto stilled.

"Shiori..." Naruto whispered, his voice tight, "... how did you get these?"

 _~Nao-sama created them and informed me that when the contract was terminated, to give them to their owners,~_ Shiori answered, her voice light.

"How do you _know_ the contract is terminated?" Naruto demanded.

 _~Because she had not given us her weekly deposit of blood. We are created from her blood, without it, the kaleidoscope will die. I will lay my final egg and the new summoner will then create a new contract and new kaleidoscope.~  
_"You're going to die?" Naruto asked.

Shiori tilted her head. _~Yes. I will join Nao-sama, wherever she may be._ ~

"What if she's still alive, but just in a different world?"

 _~I will still follow her - our souls are intertwined.~  
_"Is there any way for you to know if she is alive?" Naruto asked.

Shiori seemed to realize what Naruto was getting at, because she stopped fluttering her wings. _~Naruto... do not give yourself false hope. If Nao was able to, she would not have terminated the contract.~_

"All I know is that she went into a portal," Naruto mumbled. "That's it."

_~With Madara.~_

Naruto closed his eyes. "He's... he's supposed to be smart though, right? He wouldn't 'ave... wouldn't 'ave killed her. She woulda been his only way out, right?"

 _~And the fact that she is not out, and neither is he, means one of two things, Naruto. One, she died - either from the exertion, or from him. Or two, she is trapped in there with a madman, incapable of escape. Even if she was alive - you could not reach her. That realm is out of your reach.~  
_A stubborn glint went into Naruto's eyes when he opened them.

 _~Don't do this,~_ Shiori warned. _~She wouldn't have wanted this. You know that. Cherish her final words to you, Naruto. Because if you loved her at all - if you respected her at all - you would not ruin her sacrifice like this. You would follow her words and keep them close to you.~  
_Naruto's gaze fell and he looked away. "... I just miss her so much."

 _~Then live a life that would make her proud, so when you two_ do _meet again, you can look her in the eye.~_

Shiori's wings fluttered again and she took off, leaving the small boy alone.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Sasuke stared at the bag on his bed.

It was packed. He was ready to leave - ready to get _out of here_.

He lost another person. He lost his family because of their idiotic views, and now he lost one of his best friends because of _her_ idiotic views. He couldn't stop his family, and he couldn't stop _her_.

He refused to go to her funeral, because he already been to more than enough in his lifetime. He had already buried more than enough loved ones and had already heard more than enough stories. The funeral was to comfort the living, but Sasuke saw no comfort in going to that grieving place.

He didn't want to be here anymore.

How many more people would he be forced to watch die? It didn't matter how strong he was now to then - it would never be enough, would it? They would all die.

Perhaps it was selfish, but Sasuke just could not stand the thought of losing another precious person. It sent him into shudders and opened up all sorts of raw wounds that time wouldn't heal. He barely managed to keep his sanity after his family's massacre - but it was just by a hairline. And the _only_ reason that was the case was because of Naruto and Nao. They became his family, his support and backbone.

He lost half of his family.

He could not... _would not_... tolerate losing the other half so suddenly, so... _stupidly_ because of their _idiotic_ views.

So he would leave. He would leave before they got the chance to die, and he would stop caring. One way or another, _he would stop caring because caring was just too painful_.

He had his bag packed, but he did not move.

He just stood in front of his bed, staring at it.

Itachi had packed a bag, too, and was leaning on the doorframe. Sasuke knew he would follow him, regardless of what he wanted. Itachi would follow Sasuke, no questions asked, no persuasions given, and no objections offered, wherever he went.

Itachi stared at Sasuke's bag, too, silent and unreadable.

A cool breeze drifted into the room from the open window, and with it, was Shiori.

Sasuke dragged his eyes away from the bag and settled onto the butterfly. With delicate grace, she landed on his outstretched finger and presented a seal. Once Sasuke had taken it, she moved to Itachi, offering him a similar seal.

Sasuke opened the seal and read the letter.

_Dear Sasuke,_

_I'm sorry._

_You've always been a good friend, and to be entirely honest I always thought of you like an older brother, you know? Thank you for being my precious person. I know this is going to be hard for you - I know, even if you won't admit it, you care about Naruto and me. We're family, all of us. I'm so sorry it had to be this way, and I hope one day you might be able to forgive me. I understand if you don't want to right now, but please don't shut out. Please stay close and take care of team seven._

_We're still family, even if I can't be with you._

_Love,_

_Nao_

Sasuke did not make any outward expressions. His body and face completely blank.

Itachi scanned over his own letter.

_Dear Itachi,_

_I'm sorry._

_I know now why I cried when we first met. I hope this time, though, you won't cry for me. You've been through too much, and for that, I'm sorry. You're a gentle shinobi, and I hope that doesn't change. Please take care of Sasuke for me, okay?_

_Love,_

_Nao_

Itachi stared stoically at the note, but with great care, he folded it and put it away. He moved to stand closer to his little brother, and he put a hand on his shoulder.

 _I was not meant to outlive you. I never wanted to,_ Itachi thought softly, closing his eyes.

Sasuke then gave a great, shuddering sigh, his entire body losing form as he just slowly sunk to the floor. He turned his back, and pressed it against his bed, closing his eyes. His older brother sank to the floor beside, and the two sat shoulder-to-shoulder.

After several minutes passed of silence, Itachi stood and moved to unpack his own bag. He did not offer any words, nor any explanation, and Sasuke did not ask for one.

He knew, and Sasuke knew, that neither of them would be leaving.

 _You're an absolute idiot,_ Sasuke thought.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Obito was confined to a hospital bed, quietly wondering how the hell _he_ was still alive while _she_ remained dead. The only reason he wasn't in a prison at the moment, was because he literally brought everyone (well, almost everyone) back to life in the war. The only sign that it still happened was the fact that the maps had to be re-drawn, and the tighter kinship between the allied nations.

He fingered the single stem of bluebells in his hands. They were from the last bouquet at his grave. She still visited him, despite knowing who he was. She still believed in him, despite knowing what he had done.

When she had taken out Madara, all he could was stare in disbelief. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Madara was gone... that _she_ was gone... just like that.

It was... unbelievable.

Obito laid back in the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He wasn't sure what he was going to do now. He didn't entirely believe that he would have survived the Rinne-Rebirth, but somehow he did.

He wasn't sure if he was glad for it... or hated it.

He supposed he wouldn't know for a while. It was still too fresh, the wounds were still open and he had yet to properly mourn.

_~Obito?~_

Obito slowly turned his head to the window to find a small white butterfly – Shiori – flying towards him. He would have wondered how she made it past the ANBU guards, but decided he didn't care. Maybe the guards didn't care, either.

Obito landed on his outstretched hand, and he took the note she held out with careful fingers.

_Dear Obito-ue,_

_I'm not even sure if you'll get this letter, to be honest. I hope you don't, as I hope I'd be able to tell you this in person. But, this is war, and Kakashi was right. I should prepare for the worst, you know? Obito, I'm glad to have met you. I'm glad that it was you who I visited so often, and you who I idolized. You're a good person, Obito. I believe that. Promise me you won't give up on yourself, or this world. There are a lot of other good people in it, and I'm sure you'll make wonderful friends if you give them the chance. Be kind to Kakashi for me, okay? He missed you an awful lot._

_And get yourself another pair of goggles._

_Love,_

_Nao_

No words could describe the feelings that churned in the pit of Obito's stomach, the inner turmoil and guilt the accompanied her words.

He wasn't sure if he was a good man, or not.

He wasn't sure if he _wanted_ to be a good man or not – if he had the right to even try.

He wasn't even sure if he deserved this second chance that she sacrificed herself for.

But he did know that he would try. He would, because when he did finally die, he wanted to be the person she thought he was.

Obito swore to himself that when he did meet her again, he would be able to look her in the eye and tell her, with absolute certainly, that her sacrifice _did not go in vain_.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Kakashi stared at her name.

His finger moved out to the stone and he traced it.

When he lost his father, he grew apathetic. When he lost his teammate, he grew irrational. When he lost his second teammate, he became apathetic again. When he lost his sensei, he lost his self-preservation.

It was said that time healed all wounds, and that was both true and a lie. The pain of losing his father had certainly lessened over the years, and he slowly began to forgive himself for killing his teammates and failing to protect his sensei. It helped, most certainly, that he had such persistent friends - especially in Gai.

It helped even more so, when he received his very own team. They became his new responsibility - his way of redeeming himself, almost. Naruto was Minato's precious son, and Sasuke was Obito's precious cousin. Nao became Kakashi's own precious first student and the three of them made up _his_ team seven.

They were his responsibility. His burden and his joy.

He loved them.

And today, he saw his first student's name be engraved into her own stone.

In his other hand, he clutched tightly the goggles he had given her. They had fallen off her in the final battle and he had selfishly hoarded them to himself. They had a crack in them from one of her fights, and there was a smear on the inside - her fingerprint.

They were her goggles.

Kakashi looked down at them, his gut heaving. It felt like a million icicles had rammed through his chest. Words could not even begin to describe the absolute torment that had gripped him when Naruto confessed she would not be returning. He had fallen to his knees then and there, unashamedly crying silently for his student.

Even now, he convulsed with grief, shuddering and trembling. Without warning, he snapped his hand back from the stone and buried both of them deeply in his pocket.

 _~Kakashi._ ~

Kakashi looked over to find Shiori landing gently atop the stone. She was presenting a small seal to him. He unclenched his hands and morphed his expression into that of apathy.

When he unsealed the letter inside, he tried not to balk at the familiar handwriting.

_Dear Kakashi,_

_I'm sorry._

_You were my first sensei and you've taught me so much. Thank you for supporting me and helping me through those times. Thank you for teaching me about the stone and thank you for being my teacher. Please don't visit my grave too often, okay? You can't do that anymore. You have to take care of yourself and team seven, and you have to take care of Obito. I know he's done so much and I understand that it's going to be hard - but I know you care a lot about him. Repair your friendship with him, as best as you can and don't dwell on_ my _choices. I love you so much._

_Love,_

_Nao_

Kakashi took a shaky breath, looking up at the gray sky and rocking to the balls of his heels.

"I won't fail you," Kakashi swore. "Never again... I swear to you, Nao. I won't... "

A warm breeze blew through the clearing, picking up some blue petals that remained from the bouquet that continued to decay. The petals flew up in the wind, and Shiori joined them, flying higher and higher up into the sky before she and the petals were out of sight.

She had another note she was supposed to deliver, but it would have to remain undelivered.

_Dear Yagura,_

_Forgive me._

_Do you remember our conversation a year ago? I haven't forgotten it. It's a treasured memory to me. I hope it still is to you, and I hope when you look back on it, it won't hurt you. And I also hope, that you let me be a bit selfish in this letter._

_Thank you for being my friend._

_Thank you for being my sensei._

_Thank you for being my Kame._

_Thank you for letting me fall in love with you._

_Love,_

_Nao_

. . .

. .

.

**Interlude – Nao's POV - 19**

I stumbled, my hands reaching out and grasping at air. Two hands gripped my arms and pulled me close, preventing me from falling to the ground. My eyes widened and I looked up, my breath caught in my throat. My cheeks warmed and my tongue seemed to not be working.

Yagura was looking down at me, his eyes unreadable and his cheeks slowly starting to become a rosy red.

We stared at each other for several seconds, neither of us speaking.

Yagura abruptly released me, turning away and walking for a few steps.

He stopped at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the forest and sunset.

Silence fell between us, and my stomach fluttered, my tongue still tied.

"I..." Yagura started, seeming to struggle. "... I am... I am the type of person who prefers to confront things, rather than dance around the topic. For a while, I have... I mean... I'm not Kame. I'm Yagura. I'm older than Kakashi, you know, and Kame was just a brat. I'm not Kame."

Yagura sighed, glancing back at me briefly with a melancholy expression. "Ah, but you know, it's almost a shame I'm not Kame. Because you see..."

He turned away from me again.

"... Kame really liked you."

My breath hitched, and I moved towards him, unwillingly, until I stood at his side. My eyes steadily continued to look down, and I fidgeted nervously.

"... I really liked Kame, too," I mumbled, blushing. "... But, um... I still like Yagura because Yagura is still Kame."

Yagura did not look over at me, but he did move a bit closer. Neither of us looked at each other, just continued to watch the sun set.

"Right now, physically, you're too young," Yagura said softly, but firmly. "Right now I can only be Yagura... not Kame. But... but maybe... in a few years..."

"Will you wait for me?" I blurted out, then immediately felt mortified by my poor tact.

"Will you wait for _me_?"

"Yes," I promised.

And we stood shoulder to shoulder, just a bit closer than before.

For now, it would have to do.

 _End_.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

A moment to appreciate the kind fanart drawn after this chapter was originally published back in 2014. 

  
^ Amazing scene recreated by A-Mire-Situation on deviantART. 

^ Tragically beautiful fanart done by czappastar on deviantART.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **For those of you who want to know a bit about this ending, WHY I ended it like this and whatnot, allow me to explain.**
> 
> **For those of you that just need a happy ending, just go to the next chapter.**
> 
> I planned for Nao to die from the very beginning. I foreshadowed it to the best of my ability (her connection with death, the title, her stupid tendency to jump in front of her precious people and losing something because of it - like the Curse Mark, her losing her eye, etc).
> 
> I wanted her to die for a couple reasons.
> 
> 1.) I felt that was the most realistic ending someone could get in the Narutoverse. I feel like any type of happy ending would always be biased because that's what we _want_. We _want_ a happy ending. I stated it from the beginning that this would be a realistic story, and I feel like in reality, Nao would have died. Maybe she should have died at the beginning from her illness, maybe from the Curse Mark, or something else.
> 
> 2.) It seemed like a good way to end the story. Maybe not happy, but good. I started with her birth, and I ended with her death. It seemed complete.
> 
> 3.) To see if I can. I know, poor excuse for you guys, but the point of FF (in my opinion) is to better the author / authoress. Each of my stories focus on a different aspect of writing I struggled in. Sakura was to see if I can finish a story, Chipped Mask was to work on relationship development, Shadowed Sun is for character development, and Decaying Bluebells was focused on sub-plots and foreshadowing. _And_ to see if I could pull the trigger, so to speak, on one of my own babies.
> 
> It's a lot harder than it looks and I still couldn't do it right (I caved in and wrote a completely AU full-out happy ending for goodness sake).


	45. Fluffy Ending - Retirement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cover drawn by Cantrona. 
> 
> This is the fluffy / cuddly ending.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I ran my fingers through my hair, pursing my lips. "I really hate the wind at times."

There was a snort from behind me and Yagura poked his head out of our bedroom. He raised an eyebrow. "You look fine to me."

" _Fine_ ," I repeated. "I look like a bird made a nest on top of my hair."

"You're exaggerating. You're _fine_ ," Yagura insisted, drawing out the word _fine_ for emphasis that I was being ridiculous.

I was not. Ino was going to be there and if she saw my hair was anything less than perfect, she would steal me away to the bathroom and my childhood would begin all over again with her using me as her doll. Yagura seemed to realize my line of thinking, because his smirk widened and he said, "You're whipped."

I flushed.

There was a knock at our door, and Yagura went to answer it, completely ready to go. When the door opened, I could see Kakashi standing above Yagura and giving us a warm eye-smile. "Yo."

My eye widened in surprise and I brushed past Yagura, my hair forgotten, to greet my first sensei. "You're back early. Is something wrong?"

"No. The mission just went more smoothly than planned, ironically."

"That's scary," Yagura muttered, "that's just begging for the next mission to go _horribly_ wrong."

Kakashi nodded his head in firm agreement. "Good thing I'm retiring then, huh?"

I smiled at him. "We weren't expecting you back so soon, the retirement party isn't ready, yet."

Kakashi just tilted his head. "I figured. That's why I came over here to see my _favorite_ student."

Immediately recognizing the too-thick flattery, I quirked an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

Kakashi looked mildly offended. "Why would you think I wanted anything? Maybe I just wanted to see my _favorite_ student."

"What do you want?" Yagura asked.

"Babysit Minato for me?" Kakashi asked hopefully.

"Naruto asked _you_ to babysit his son, didn't he?" I asked rhetorically. "You need to get over your discomfort with babies, you know. You're just as bad as Sasuke!"

"When Minato is old enough to not accidentally swallow kunai, I'll happily babysit," Kakashi responded firmly.

Yagura and I exchanged glances.

With an exasperated sigh, Yagura said, "Fine. We'll babysit him _again_ for you."

Kakashi gave a relieved sigh. "Good. Thanks. I should probably head home and get changed. What time's the party?"  
"Like we're gonna tell you," I grumbled. "You're just going to hide away until it's over. No, Sasuke and Itachi will come and get you."

"I think I liked it better when you were more docile," Kakashi said. "Yagura's a horrible influence for you."

Yagura just grinned wickedly. "Yes. I am. Now if you don't mind, I need to convince my fiance that she is perfectly presentable and she's worrying over nothing."

"I am _not_ ," I insisted. "Ino's going to steal me away!"

"You _could_ try saying no," Kakashi put in helpfully.

I shot him a dirty look. " _You_ try saying no to her."

"Are you kidding? She would eat me alive."

"My point exactly!"

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

I fiddled with my hair a bit longer before Yagura finally gave a groan, grabbed my arm and proceeded to drag me out of the house. I shot him a dirty look, and he glared right back at me. "Don't make me get my staff."

"Don't make me get _my_ staff."

Yagura snorted. After exiting our home, he locked the door behind us and leapt up onto the rooftop. I sighed then hopped up onto the rooftop, as well. My hand reached up for my hair and Yagura immediately grabbed it. He pulled it down, wrapping it in his own two hands and pulling me closer. My cheeks flamed and I resisted the urge to look down.

He smirked, realizing I was getting flustered. "At least you haven't fainted... yet."

"Th-That only happened a _few_ times," I defended weakly.

" _Few_?" Yagura mocked. "More like every other date! You're worse than Hinata."

"Am not!"

"Oh, yes you are, _hato_ ," Yagura said dismissively. "Now let's go. We told your sister we'd pick her and Chouji up before the party. Let's not give her a reason to complain, ne?"  
Smiling, I said, "She's not _that_ bad when we're late."

Yagura gave me a flat look and I amended, "She's not... worse... than... Ibiki-san when we're late."

"Maybe not to you," Yagura muttered. "Ibiki likes you. He _hates_ me."

"He doesn't hate you," I said comfortingly.

"He likes _Juugo_ more than me."

"Now, now..."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

" _There_ you guys are!" Ino declared, then her eyes narrowed upon seeing me. "What happened to your hair?"

"I _told_ you!" I exclaimed, shooting daggers at Yagura.

"Never mind that, we don't have time," Ino dismissed. "I'll fix you up at the party."

"But – but – but – "

Yagura cleared his throat. "I'm afraid that won't be happening, as I will be needing to keep my fiancé close to me at all times at this party."

Ino huffed. "She may be your fiancé, but she's still _my_ sister."

Yagura wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I blushed. "Which means you got to have her through childhood. _I_ get to have her through adulthood and beyond."

Ino looked prepared to bring out her kunai and Yagura wasn't far behind her.

"Not to interrupt or anything," Chouji said softly, "but we're going to be late."

"Th-That's right," I said immediately, casting Chouji a grateful look. "W-We should really get going."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Just on time!" Naruto exclaimed happily, clapping his hands. "Kakashi hasn't shown up, yet."

"Naruto, your son wants you," Sasuke said distastefully, holding a young toddler in his arms. The boy was a spitting image of Naruto, right down to the light blue eyes and spiky golden hair. Naruto and Hinata named him after Naruto's father – his godfather being Sasuke, and godmother myself.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke, before taking his son and cooing. Minato beamed at his father, his small hands reaching out and grabbing at his nose.

Ino cooed. "Mina-chan looks so cute today! Ah, I can't wait 'til I'm done with _my_ pregnancy. Tired of my bladder being used as a friggin' kickball."

Naruto snickered, while Sasuke and Yagura looked mildly disgusted. Chouji merely smiled at his wife, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. I just giggled nervously.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Neji said Tenten was complaining about the exact same thing."

"She's a month ahead of me, the lucky girl," Ino mumbled. " _Oh_ , I forgot to ask her about the name! Come on, Chouji."

"Hai, hai..."

The four us watched the happy couple leave in pursuit of Tenten before we glanced at each other. Naruto gave Yagura a sly look. "So do I have any godchildren on the way?"

"We aren't married, yet," Yagura said pointedly. "Did you not specifically say earlier, the second we started dating, that if she ended up pregnant before marriage that you, Sasuke, Kakashi, Inoichi, Ibiki, Anko, and Itachi would castrate me?"

"Do I?"

"No, Naruto," I said gently. "You do not."

Naruto pouted while Sasuke nodded his head. "Good. Did you settle on a Best Man?"  
"Nope," Yagura said. "And stop looking at me like that, Naruto, no amount of begging is going to make me choose faster."

"But, but, but, I've _never_ been the Best Man!" Naruto protested. "Always the groom, never the Best Man."

"You've only been a groom _once_ ," Sasuke retorted.

"Exactly! Never a Best Man. Come on, please? Nao, talk to him! I named you my son's godmother, didn't I?"

"Um..."

Naruto turned Minato around so the baby was facing me. His eyes widened and his bottom lip stuck out as he used the puppy-dog face on me. Minato mimicked his actions. "Come on, look at these faces. How can you say no to these faces?"

Yagura's hands rested over my eyes, and I only saw blackness. "Stop trying to bribe my fiancé! Go use those eyes on your own wife."

Naruto whined. "But – but – but – "

"I _swear_ ," Sasuke growled, "you get more annoying each year. Let's go, _Dobe_ , Minato looks hungry."

Yagura removed his hands from my eyes when they left. I turned to face him and he cupped my cheek, eyeing me carefully. "Sorry about that."

I smiled at him, leaning into his hand. "It's okay."

My hand lifted up and I rested it over his. "It won't be too much longer 'til _your_ 'retirement party.'"

Yagura rolled his eyes. "ANBU never retire... they just take little vacations."

After the war, and when things had settled down, ANBU Division SS was officially disbanded, as the Akatsuki were no longer a threat. Yagura, Sasuke and Naruto aspired to join the ANBU and were admitted into the program. A couple years into it, Hinata, Neji, Tenten, and Sakura joined, as well. Hinata, Naruto, Neji and Tenten had all 'retired' from it. Hinata retired when she found out she was pregnant, and Naruto a couple seconds after. The same for Neji and Tenten, only with Tenten's pregnancy.

Yagura and Sasuke stayed in the program – Yagura became, and still was, the ANBU Commander with Sasuke as his Captain.

I chose not to join the ANBU, despite being offered several times. That kind of life just... wasn't for me. Itachi and I remained as Jounin, and together, with Kakashi, the three of us formed our own team. We were well-known together – just as much, if not more, than the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. The Ita-Na-Ka.

That didn't mean team 7 stopped having missions together, of course. We still averaged a mission together about once every other month.

Ino became a Jounin, not too long after the war and started her training in the T&I division. She was planning on taking it over when Ibiki retired. Shikamaru followed his father's footsteps and was training to take over the adviser position when Naruto became Hokage (thus meaning his father and Tsunade retired).

Kiba, Shino and Chouji all took over as leaders for their clan. The only reason Kiba took over, and not his older sister, was because she declined the position.

Juugo, after finally being declared stable, decided to stay close to the T&I. He wasn't interested in torturing or interrogating, but rather rehabilitating. He wanted to become a shinobi therapist. Papa took him under his wing and trained him. He was doing well, last I heard.

Obito... Obito was still, technically, imprisoned for his crimes. However, unofficially, he he usually stuck close to Kakashi, myself or Naruto. It was only ever during the day, and he had to wear chakra-restraints, but he didn't seemed to mind. The beginning was a little rough, but over the years he seemed... happier. He might have been confined to Konoha, but he didn't seemed to mind. He spent a lot of time at the stone with Kakashi, and myself, actually.

He got me new goggles. A matching pair to his.

"Besides, I still got a year as Commander," Yagura mused. "A couple more months until our wedding, and _at least_ nine before the brat pops out."

"What a nice way of putting it."

Yagura grinned at me.

"Oh, shh, _shhh_ , everyone!" Naruto suddenly shouted. All eyes turned towards him – almost everyone was here. All family and friends of Kakashi (Asuma, Kurenai and their children; Gai and his team; the Rookie 9, plus Sakura; Itachi, Yagura, Yamato, Juugo; each of the Clan heads and previous heads; Tsunade and Shizune) were there. Most of them were holding children in their arms, or were placing their hands over round bellies. The conversations, which were once quite loud, came to a fluttering stop.

We could hear footsteps.

Suddenly the door to the apartment opened and we all shouted, "Surprise!"

Kakashi rolled his only visible eye. "Jeeze. I had _no_ idea. It's not like Naruto blabbed about the day you had all had it planned out."

Obito peeked his head around Kakashi, his eyes roaming around the friendly faces and he grinned. "What? No cake?"

"I was hungry," Naruto protested. Then, as if realizing what he had said, Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Laughter ensured all around us and Yagura pulled me a bit closer to him. The atmosphere was warm and comforting, and looking all around, I saw everyone I loved.

Ino cackled and whipped out her camera. "Alright! Be prepared to smile everyone. I've got enough room on this baby for two-hundred pictures and I plan to use it all."

There were groans all around the room and Ino abruptly turned towards Yagura and myself. "Smile!"  
Reflexively, I smiled. However, I was quickly turned around as Yagura suddenly kissed me. Howls took up around the room and my face flamed.

The camera flashed and I resisted the urge to pass out.

I loved them. I really did.

But, sometimes, I swear Ino and Yagura made it their goal in life to see how many times I could faint.

_End._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pick whichever ending you want to be canon, just like with _Sakura_. One is realistic, maybe not happy, but true; and the other is all fluffles and cuddles.
> 
> And so now, I shall conclude it with this:
> 
>  **Question:** How are you?
> 
> Reviews are **love** , darlings. Love and comfort.


End file.
